Dried Apricot~Vanilla Bean Preserves

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   This recipe is a fun weekend project. You start by soaking the dried apricots overnight. The next day, you can make delicious preserves in about an hour, start to finish.

You can also add nuts and raisins or currants and make a delicious chunky conserve, or take it one step further, by adding a bit of booze before sealing up the jars.

--> If you want, you can use a food processor to chop the apricots, but it's not really necessary. The 'cots will soften as they cook, and will break down a bit. Besides, many people like larger pieces of apricots in their preserves, which is what you'll get if you just quarter them.

Makes ~6 half pints

• 3 cups dried apricots, quartered
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 vanilla bean*
• 3 cups white sugar

Place quartered apricots in a large bowl and cover with water. (Be sure there is enough room for the apricots to double or triple in size.) Set aside to soak overnight. 24 hours is best.

Drain apricots, but save the soaking liquid. Add the apricots to a large, heavy-bottomed, non-reactive pan. Measure the soaking liquid and add it to the apricots. Add more water, so that you have a total of 6 cups of water in the pan with the 'cots. Add lemon zest & juice. (Don't use an aluminum, copper, or cast iron pan when cooking with lemon juice &/or vinegar.) Add vanilla bean.

Cook over medium heat, simmering constantly and stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until apricots are soft. (You can crush the apricots with a potato masher if you want smaller pieces, or use an immersion blender if you want the preserves smoother.) You will want to taste the preserves once every 10 minutes, to decide when to remove the vanilla bean. Because vanilla beans vary a lot in size and flavor, the amount of time you need to cook it with the preserves varies greatly too.

Add sugar and cook for 10 more minutes, or until desired thickness.

Ladle into clean jars, run a table knife around the edges to remove any air bubbles, and then wipe rims spotlessly clean. Place a warm seal on the jar, and then screw on a band finger-tight.

Process in a boiling water bath 10 minutes, turn off heat, and let sit for 5 more minutes. Remove the jars from the kettle and let them sit in a draft-free place overnight. Store any jars that didn't seal in the fridge for up to 6 months, and put the rest in a cool dark place for up to one year.

 *When you are finished using the vanilla bean for the recipe, you can use it again! Rinse it off, let it dry and put it in a big jar full of white sugar. The result? Within a few days you will have Vanilla Sugar, which is something you can buy already made, but why would you when it's so easy to make it yourself?