Quick Apricot Cherry Preserves

This Quick Apricot Cherry Preserve recipe is another one of those treats I stumbled upon in an old cookbook.  I couldn’t believe how simple the recipe was.  It only took mere minutes of my time to produce a homemade preserve. Of course I played with the recipe a bit by adding cherries and a hint of nutmeg.  I just couldn't help myself.

This preserve is made with dried fruit which lends an intense flavor.  It also helps to naturally thicken the preserve since it doesn’t contain the extra liquid in fresh fruit.  This is a sticky preserve that is lightly sweetened and has some perky sour flavor from the cherries. I personally love the flavor of nutmeg mixed with fruit but feel free to omit this spice or add one of your own (I think cardamom would be delicious too).

So I was thinking you could easily whip up a batch of this tonight and shmear it on your whole grain toast, waffle or crepe this weekend. You also get bragging rights for making homemade preserves!

Quick Apricot Cherry Preserves

Recipe by Liz Hughes - Virtually Homemade

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes with 30 minute sit time
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients

• 1 cup dried apricots, cut in half
• 1 cup dried sour cherries
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or grated nutmeg)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Cooking Directions

1. Put dried fruit and water into a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 30 minutes; most of the liquid should be absorbed.
2. Stir in sugar, nutmeg and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is soft, syrupy and thick. Remove from heat.
3. Place preserve mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until you've pureed about half the mixture. There should still be chunks of apricot and cherry. Pour preserves into a glass jar, let cool, cover and refrigerate.