Recipe: Low-Sugar Apricot-Strawberry Freezer Jam

Okay, I know I promised photos of the BBQ pulled-pork, but - again - I'm a Big Fat Liar!

My college buddy, D, was in-town this past weekend and we yakked and gabbed and laughed endlessly (About what?  I couldn't tell you!).  And, well, I just never got around to taking a photo of our dinner!  Deal with it!

Okay, tonight's recipe *does* get a photo!

So Good-Friend P has an Apricot Tree which was producing fruit - in OVER abundance!  She dropped-off a rather "ample" bag on Friday - but I was too side-tracked to act on it right away.  Consequently, many of the fruits ended up in the compost bin (::::GASP!:::).  But I did manage to save a few...  And I supplemented with other fresh, local 'cots.  And I had ALSO picked up a couple-three baskets of fresh, local strawberries!

Now that D is gone, I am faced with ALL THIS FRUIT and zero energy to do any hard-core canning.  So I did the next best thing:  I made a batch of Low-Sugar Freezer Jam!  Annnnnd...  Since it turned-out so yummy, I figured I'd better post the recipe before I forget!!!

QT's Low-Sugar Apricot-Strawberry Freezer Jam
Yield: 3 x 16 oz freezer jars (do the math for half-pint conversion!)

• 3 cups chopped fresh apricots (remove pits, but leave the skins on) (quantity will vary depending on the size of your 'cots)
• 3 cups chopped/squished fresh strawberries (appx 2-3 small baskets)
• 3 TBS bottled lemon juice
• 2 TBS granulated sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 cups Splenda
• 10 TBS "Instant" Freezer Pectin (I used Ball brand)

Instructions:

1. Chop up your apricots into little (1/4-1/2" chunks) - drizzle with 1 TBS lemon juice + 1 TBS sugar.  Set aside.
2. Core and slice your strawberries - sprinkle 1 TBS sugar on top and let 'em start sweating
3. Partially squish your strawberries with a potato masher (you want to keep *some* recognizable chunks)
4. Dump the apricots into the strawberry bowl.  Add remaining 2 TBS lemon juice and mix thoroughly
5. In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients: Splenda, sugar and pectin
6. Dump the dry ingredients into the fruit bowl and mix thoroughly
7. Spoon into freezer jars and toss 'em in the freezer.

Easy Peasey!  Appx 15 minutes worth of effort, and I've got plenty of scrump-dilly-icious freezer jam!  Just the right mix of sweet and tart! Yummmm!!!

Enjoy!