The apricot's real origin is genuinely disputed. Its Latin name, Prunus armeniaca, literally means Armenian plum, but that name is now thought to be something of a historical accident, the fruit most likely originated in China and simply reached Europe by way of Armenia, where it had already been cultivated for thousands of years. Alexander the Great is credited with carrying it from there into Greece, and Roman general Lucullus brought it onward to Rome not long after. Armenia has claimed it as a national symbol ever since.
Cut the apricots into small pieces and put them in a large pan with sugar, 800g for every kilo of fruit, along with a good sprig of verbena, only the tender leaves, never the woody stem. Working at any real scale, five kilos of apricot wants around forty verbena leaves.
Mix everything together and leave the fruit to macerate overnight. By morning the sugar will have fully dissolved, and the whole kitchen will smell extraordinary. Mix it all again, then remove the verbena, though it's worth keeping a few leaves back to cook through the jam itself rather than pulling every last one out.
Before you put any heat under it, check there's no undissolved sugar sitting at the bottom of the pan. Start on a low heat to dissolve it completely, how long that takes depends entirely on how much you're making. You'll know it's ready to move on when the mixture starts gently "breathing," moving on its own without going wild.
Turn the heat up and cook for about 10 minutes, not much longer. You're looking for the fruit to soften and for some pieces to turn translucent. At that point, add pectin. Purists tend to skip it, but using it here keeps the jam a genuinely vibrant colour, since the fruit never has to be cooked down far enough to set on its own. A splash of lemon goes in towards the end too, both for the colour and to help the pectin along.
Once it's boiled long enough for the pectin to take hold, pot it immediately while it's still properly hot, right to the top, and seal the lid straight away so it seals itself as it cools.
Vanilla in place of the verbena gives a softer, rounder result. Some people blend the fruit smooth with a stick blender for a jam with no bits at all, entirely a matter of taste. Basil works surprisingly well too, tried a few times now, it brings a peppery edge that's quite different from verbena's lemon note or vanilla's gentleness.
