Pickled apricots

Ingredients:

450g apricots
225g sugar
2 short cinnamon sticks
2 pieces of root ginger, about 2cm square
1/2 tsp whole allspice
wine vinegar (enough to cover the fruit)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 150ºC/gas mark 2. Put the apricots into a ceramic dish and sprinkle with sugar. Tie the spices in a piece of muslin.
Pour enough vinegar onto to the fruit to cover it, add the bag of spices, then put the dish at the bottom of the oven for 20 minutes until the fruits feel soft and the juices start to run.
Remove the apricots with a slotted spoon and pack into a  sterilized jar.
Boil the remaining liquid until it becomes syrup; discard the spice bag, then pour the liquid  over the apricots.
Leave in the fridge overnight. Next day, remove the apricots from the jar and strain the syrup into a pan.
Put the apricots back in the jar and bring the syrup to the boil, then pour over the apricots.
Leave until cold, then seal.

Tips:

The sweetness of the fruit is perfectly offset by the sharpness of the vinegar.
Out of season,use dried apricots instead.