Apricot Preserves with Shak Simley

My friend Shakirah Simley is an incredibly accomplished jam maker. She’s also a brilliant writer, community organizer, and policy strategist. Shak is one of those rare people who you are in awe of and just want to be around all the time, in hopes that maybe some of her shine will rub off on you. When she texted me and offered to come over to make apricot preserves with all the fruit from our backyard trees, I cleared my schedule. This was a dream come true.

In addition to the preserves, we also made noyaux using the kernels inside the apricot pits. Have you ever tasted noyaux? It has an intoxicating almond-like flavor—delicious in baked goods, aperitifs, and whipped cream. We followed Samin’s recipe here.