This is my favourite jam, both to eat and to make. The recipe comes from my much loved, late, ex-mother in law, Anne-Marie and works beautifully with pears, golden plums and damsons all coming into high season at the moment.

For 6 – 8 jars
45 minutes preparation
5 – 10 minutes cooking

2.5 kg sugar
3 kg apricots, stoned, halved
3 (or 4) vanilla pods, sliced
1 lemon

Put the apricots into a jam basin or large pot and add the sugar. Mix the sugar evenly through the fruit and then chop up the vanilla pods (there is no need to scrape out the seeds) and drop them into the mixture.

Then add the juice of the lemon, mix well and leave to stand overnight for the flavours to infuse.

The next day, put the pot on the heat, bring to a slow boil and let it cook for four or five minutes, stirring the jam from time to time as it simmers. Put two small saucers or plates in the freezer for testing the jam.

When the fruit is soft and starts to look a bit like jam, test it to see if it will set or not. Put a little bit of the fruit and some of the juice onto one of the saucers and place in the fridge. After a couple of minutes remove the saucer and push the syrup gently with the tip of your finger. If the syrup wrinkles, then the jam is cooked.

Pour the jam into clean, dry jars, distributing the pieces of vanilla evenly. Fill them to the top, leaving a few millimetres, and screw the lid on.

Immediately turn them upside down so the hot jam rises up through the jar, sterilising the air. Turn them back over once cooled and store.