Jams and preserves, apricot

Apricot jam is a classic pantry preserve, prized as much for cooking as for spreading on toast. Its bright, slightly tart flavor makes it a favorite glaze for roasted ham or pork, brushed on warm so it sets into a shiny lacquer, and it is the traditional filling for linzer cookies and thumbprint cookies. Pastry chefs also brush it over fruit tarts to give the fruit a glossy finish, or thin it with a little water to use as a cake glaze between layers. Warmed and strained through a sieve, it turns into a smooth sauce for spooning over yogurt, oatmeal, or a simple cheese plate alongside crackers.

Choose a jar with visible flecks of apricot rather than a completely smooth gel, a sign of more actual fruit and less added pectin. Once opened, keep it refrigerated and use a clean spoon each time to avoid introducing mold that shortens its shelf life. At 242 calories and 64.4 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams, it is a sweet, concentrated ingredient best measured by the tablespoon rather than eaten in quantity, with only 0.7 grams of protein. It carries about 10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C per 100 grams, a trace carried over from the apricots themselves, and sodium stays low at 40 milligrams per 100 grams.