Recipe courtesy of Helga S. Orthofer

Yield: 4 quarts

4 pounds each sugar and choice of fruit, cleaned and chopped (Discard anything you won’t eat, like pits!)

Put it in a large sauce pot, cover and let rest overnight on the kitchen counter.

Cook for ½ hour or so, slow boil until thickened.

Taste it. If the fruit is too sweet, add freshsqueezed lemon juice and pulp; if too sour, add more sugar.

Clean the jars and place in boiling water. Remove jars one at a time.

Add the piping hot, still boiling fruit and sugar mixture to each jar.

Cover immediately and listen for the pop of the lid that confirms a tight seal has been formed.

And then set the jars up in the studio and paint to your heart’s content.