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Apricot jam is one of the best things you can do with fresh apricots in season. My recipe is for a small batch of jam that yields tangy, fruity, bright preserves we can’t get enough of.
Ohh Apricot Jam! Ohh anything apricot! We can’t, don’t want to!, jam without you. The Lebanese are a fruit obsessed people, with apricots ranking at the top of the class. Luckily we can get beautiful fresh apricots up north in Michigan (our season is late summer, not early summer), which we always, always transform into jam, among other delights. I get this from my mother, who grew up making apricot jam with her own mother, and then with me.
Making homemade apricot jam is not at all difficult, it just takes some time and patience–the process does require a heaping portion ofโฆyou. An hourโs worth of your hand stirring to prevent scorching and your patience waiting for the fruit and sugar to cook properly. Take this as an opportunity to chew on some daydreams youโve been wanting to have. A mind needs time to wander, donโt you think? Or you can hoist yourself up on the counter and sit there listening to your mother while she stirs the pot, like I did. Read about it here.ย
Ingredients Overview
Fresh Apricots. The star ingredient in this jam, fresh apricots, with their tangy flavor, so fruity and bright. Choose apricots that are slightly soft to the touch but still firm enough to hold their shape. I wouldn’t jam without fresh apricots but if they are are not available, you can substitute with frozen apricots if you can find those. Canned apricots will have an entirely different flavor and not a favorite one! Pit ripe apricots just by splitting them open with your hands.
Lemon Juice. A squeeze of lemon juice not only adds brightness to the jam but aids in thickening, as well as preserving the color and freshness. It balances the natural sweetness of apricots and enhances the flavor of the jam. I love lime juice with apricots equally as much as lemon.
Sugar. It takes plenty of sugar to make jam. The sugar takes the fruit from a fruity sauce to a thick jam spread. White can sugar is my go-to. You can certainly use brown sugar, but it darkens the jam and can detract from its gorgeous orange color.
Expert Tips for Making Successful Jam
- Tending the pot: When preparing jam, maintaining medium high heat helps to achieve the right consistency, but you have to stay nearby and keep stirring. This helps you take care not to scorch the bottom of the pot. I’ve done it! It isn’t pretty! And sooo disappointing. If it’s your first time making jam, just be sure to keep a close eye on the pot as the mixture boils. Stir regularly to prevent sticking and monitor the texture frequently to avoid over-thickening. By boiling the mixture, the pectin in the apricots activates, ensuring it thickens properly without overcooking the fruit.
- Small Batches: I’m a huge fan of small batches of jam. It makes the experience much more do-able and approachable. A few jars to enjoy and that’s a pleasure. Making less allows you to maintain better control over the cooking process. To make many jars for shelf life storage, follow canning instructions to sterilize and process the jam.
- Use a Large Pot: Utilize a large pot to allow plenty of room for the apricot mixture to boil vigorously without overflowing. A wide pot promotes faster evaporation of water, helping the jam to thicken more efficiently.
- Testing Consistency: A useful trick is the “cold plate test.” Before cooking, place a small plate in the freezer. To test the jam, drop a little on the cold plate and push with your finger; if it wrinkles, itโs ready. This can be particularly helpful for if you’re trying their hand at homemade jam for the first time.
- Ladle and Jam funnel. Use a ladle to transfer the jam to the jars, and nestle a jam funnel in the top of the jar to keep the rim of the jar clean.
Eating it!
Pretty sure every person in our family can be seen at some time or another eating a spoonful of apricot jam from the jar, just for the goodness of its fresh fruit flavor. It’s absolutely divine dolloped on labneh or yogurt, ice cream, or cottage cheese. I love good toast spread with labneh and then apricot jam on top.
Storage Instructions
Once your apricot jam reaches the desired consistency, store it correctly to keep it fresh for a couple of weeks or much longer in the refrigerator. Pour the hot jam into clean jars immediately. A clean jar is key; ensure each jar is sterilized to prevent contamination. Then be sure to seal them tightly and let them cool to room temperature before storing them in the refrigerator.
For pantry shelf life, you can seal the jars through a canning process.
Apricot Jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds apricots
- 1 1/3 cups cane sugar, or granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Lemon, squeezed
Instructions
- Pit the apricots by splitting them between your thumbs and removing the pit. If they are not ripe enough to split by hand, run a sharp knife through the flesh around the pit, pull apart, and remove the pit.
- In a large heavy saucepan, add all of the ingredients Cook over medium heat until the sugar has melted and the mixture begins to simmer.
- Reduce heat and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until the apricots are very soft and falling apart, about 1โ2 hour.
- Reduce heat and simmer over low heat again, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens and the apricots have softened but some pieces still remain, another 1โ2 hour.
- Taste. Depending on how tart the preserves are, and how tart you like it, add more lemon juice or more sugar.
- Off the heat, allow the jam cool for 15 minutes, then ladle into clean jars fitted with a canning funnel to prevent drips. Cover with the lids and refrigerate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Preserves Recipes
Make a small batch jar of strawberry jam, raspberry jam, or fig jam with anise, a Lebanese favorite! Use the preserves on charcuterie boards, in jam bars, and even a jam tart.
I just tried your recipe and it smells wonderful. I’m waiting for it to cool to taste.
I have a question for you. We had a lot of apricots and ‘life’ happened last year, so I had to put them in the freezer whole. This time I let them thaw, removed the seed then tried to squeeze as much of the pulp as I could off of the skin.
Do you think the skins would be ok to leave on even after they had been frozen (I have several more bags to do)? Thank you for any thoughts. We won’t get any this year, a late frost took care of all the fruit. maybe next year!
I keep the skins on for the preserves, so your frozen apricots ought to work great, with the pit removed! I’m jealous…
My sister-in-law makes this wonderful jam for us. And she saves the pits for my husband. He soaks them in water and cracks them open to extract the seed, which looks like a small almond. A very time consuming job. He fries the seeds in a little oil or butter until they’re slightly browned. Then he gives them to me. It’s a labor of love on his part. He grew up in Telkeif, a small farming village near Mosul, Iraq. They never wasted anything there!!!
Nothing makes me think of childhood more than apricot jam! All the women from my family made ot every summer, grandma, mom and now I make it for my family. We love it!
In Serbia we have a way to preserve preserves and it stays in the pantry for more than a year sometimes. You wash and dry the jars and lids, put them in the oven on 130 C to sterilize, and you pour hot jam into hot jars the minute it is over with the cooking. Then you put opened jars back in the oven for 15 minutes just to heat the top of the jam more. Then close with hot lids from the oven. Put all jars one by another, wrap them all in a blanket or big, chubbby towel and let it cool slowely for two days, untill it is at room temerature. And then it can stay on a shelf for a long, long time
I love your story and the pics
All the best,
Bojana
Beautiful, just beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
How much does this make? 2lbs of apricots seems like a lot more than I need…
Ann, this makes about 2 pints, which around here is gone fast!
how long will these preserves last in the fridge? and can they be frozen?
I’ve had them last as long as a year myself in the refrigerator, but a couple of months at least. I have not frozen the apricot jam but I suspect it would freeze just fine!
I found no mention of the skins. Do you remove them?
Nope! Just leave the the skin on for added flavor and texture.
My Great grandmother (Nana ) always made apricot preserves like this. And I just finished making them. The wonderful aroma of the apricots simmering brought back wonderful childhood memories. Thank you so much!
So special! I will be making apricot preserves again soon too!
I used to make apricot jam. 3 kilo apricots 3 kilo sugar? Not sure if that’s rights and 3 lemons for it to set. Actually I made jam out of every fruit except apples and pairs. I’d bought a new fridge but kept the old one and it was full of jams the wholeyyear round. I made grape jam that over set and when my parents came from England I made my dad finish it before he could try anything else. Poor daddy. Sorry. I must’ve bored you.
Judy I love your story! I’m sure yours is delicious; you use a little more sugar than I do, and more lemon too.
In South Africa we usually crack a few of the pips, blanch the nuts to remove the skin and add them at the end. Adds a lovely almonds flavour.
Maureen, I used your recipe when given too many apricots to eat from the tree of the “other grandma” of my grandsons. Absolutely delicious!! In fact, I think I’ll go make toast to put some on right now.
That’s great Elaine! I can’t wait for apricots up here…I’m ready for jam!
Maureen, if you sterilize the pots can the preserves be kept at room temperature?
Yes, sterilize the jars and they will have shelf life. Just be sure there is a seal on the lid (indicated by a popping sound when you open the jar).
Yum, looks amazing and really delicious. Do you know by any chance how to make “Amar El Din”. Arabic dried apricots rolls? Or the apricots pudding that is eaten cold? I moved for a year from Montreal (Canada) to the Dominican Republic and would love to make some. I am carving Lebanese food like crazy. ๐
Thanks.
I love “Amardin” and have not made it, but looked into the method last summer. Maybe we’ll try it next year when the apricots are back–soooo delicous. I often buy amardin and I bet homemade would be excellent.
Okay–it is ridiculous how good this tastes!!! Mom and I just made it and she is thrilled with it!
I am so thrilled you made the apricot preserves!! I made another big batch this weekend, crazy delicious!
I love the interview with Mama Abood. She sounds as sweet as those apricots!
You know it!
Maureen!
I remember making these preserves with
Grandma one summer. Seems like I pitted a lot
more than 2 lbs of apricots. I recall a bottomless
bushel basket! Absolutely the best!
Love to you and Aunt Maryalice!
Rosemary
Wonderful memory Rosemary!! Thanks for sharing. I bet Grandma’s were so delicious, right from her own tree. xo–