For the people of Beit-Jala in Palestine, the apricot is a fruit of longing. According to food writer Christiane Dabdoub Nasser, it is the fruit that most emigrants from this part of the West Bank miss most about their region.

This apricot jam recipe, adapted from Nasser’s Classic Palestinian Cuisine, proves once again foods’ importance in sustaining memory and identity.
The apricots lend themselves well to slow cooking with sugar. The result is a thick and sticky jam with a burnt orange glow that would make even the sun jealous. Serve with toast or yogurt.

Ingredients:
500g fresh apricots
200g sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon or orange

Halve and stone the apricots, put them into a medium-sized pan with the sugar and gently stir so that the sugar coats the fruit and melts.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for about an hour till it reaches a jammy consistency. Add the lemon or orange juice a few minutes before the end.
 
Ken Doherty is a chef and journalist