Today’s guest post is from MJ’s Kitchen! Her blog is filled with wonderful recipes and mouth-watering photos! Make a few batches of her Apricot Jam and share it with your family and friends! They’ll love it!
If you read my About page you know that I use to have lots and lots of fruit trees. One was a huge apricot tree that, about every 3 to 4 years, yielded an abundance of the biggest and sweetest apricots. On the years in between, a late freeze would kill the young fruit. On those good years, we ate LOTS of apricots right off the tree, but the rest of the apricots ended up in jam or dried. When we moved, I had enough apricot jam to last us a few more years and still give away a jar here and there.
This recipe is really easy! All you need are enough apricots for 3 cups of chopped fruit, a lemon, some sugar and a little apple juice. In less than 45 minutes you have a delicious pint of apricot jam that can go right into the refrigerator and used the next morning on your morning bagel (if you can wait that long).
Apricot Jam Recipe
Yields a little over 1 pint
Prep and cook time: less than 45 minutes
Ingredients
3 cups apricots, chopped
Juice from one lemon (2 to 3 Tbsp.)
1 ½ cups sugar
3 Tbsp. apple cider or 100% apple juice
Instructions
- Place a small saucer in the freezer.
- Pit the apricots and chop. (I just use a coarse chop because they do cook down.)
- Add apricots to a sauce pan with the lemon, sugar and apple cider/juice.
- Heat on low, stirring frequently until the sugar has melted.
- Increase the heat to medium and bring the jam to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Increase the heat to medium high and bring the jam to a full boil, stirring constantly. A full boil is a boil that cannot be stirred down. You may need to adjust your heat level. I usually have to turn it down just a bit once I reach a full boil.
- Stir constantly at a full boil for 17 to 18 minutes. Test* @ 17 minutes, then cook another minute or two or until ready. Skim off any foam remaining on the surface of the jam.
- Remove from the heat and pour into a clean pint jar. Screw on the lid. Let cool, then refrigerate. Jam will keep in the refrigerator until you finish it off, which won’t take long.
* Test – When the jam sheets from the side of a metal spoon (droplets flow together), it’s very close if not ready. Pull the saucer from the freezer and place a drop or two of jam onto the saucer. If it spreads out, the jam’s not done. Return the saucer to the freezer, continue to stir the boiling jam, and try again in 2 minutes. The jam is done when a drop does not spread out but retains its shape.
Kitchen Notes
Pectin – Apricots are naturally low in pectin and apples and lemons are high; therefore, I use apple juice and lemon to add a little pectin to the jam. This provides just enough pectin for a relatively soft jam that’s great for toast, bagels, muffins, or just right out of the jar.
Sugar – I’ve tried honey and agave in these quick and easy jams, but didn’t like the outcome; therefore, sugar works best for me.
Apricots – Under-ripe apricots work best, but if all you have are ripe and over-ripe apricots, don’t let that stop you from making a jar of this absolutely delicious jam!
If you have a few strawberries that need to be used, then you should make a jar of Strawberry Jam.
Thanks for sharing your recipe with us, MJ!
Be sure to visit MJ’s Kitchen and follow her on Facebook and Twitter!
That jam does look wonderful! What a beautiful color and I’m sure it tastes wonderful too!
I very happy to share this recipe with you! Thanks so much for the invitation to be here!
It’s my pleasure, MJ! :)
thanks for sharing-I will check out her blog!
I remember growing up, my mom always made all sorts of homemade jams (including apricot) and she would spend the day in the kitchen making her assortment. As I grew up, I never even attempted making my own because the memories of my mom slaving the day away in the kitchen scared me off, but you make it sound easy. Thanks for sharing. Maybe one of these days I’ll put on my brave pants and actually try it LOL.
It can be time-consuming, but so worth it!
Robin, like your mom I have spent hours upon hours in the kitchen making multiple pints of jam and jelly, but for me - those days are over. My feet get tired! :) So that’s why I now just make ONE jar of jam when I need it with just a handful of fruit. It’s easy and takes less than 45 minutes. So girl - put those brave pants on give it a try! :)
That looks so good! I am pinning it for future use..thanks for sharing! love your photo!