How to make apricot jam
They say third time’s the charm and it was for me in my attempt at making jam. And, oh, what a jam! I made possibly the best-ever apricot jam.
The first time I tried making jam was last summer. I had a big batch of bruised strawberries and so I made a strawberry jam, following the directions on the pectin box. I must not follow directions very well because what I ended up with was a thick gummy blob. The flavor was good but the texture was just wrong.
So traumatized by my first-foray into the jam-making world, I didn’t gather enough courage to try again until a few weeks ago. This time, I followed a friend’s instructions for freezer jam with a huge haul of sour cherries. But again, I failed, as I let the mixture boil too long. After the jam cooled in the jar what I had was a rock-solid piece of candy, which wasn’t very appropriate for spreading on toast.
I am not one to give up, however, and last weekend when I saw a gorgeous display of apricots at the farmers’ market, I decided to try making jam one more time.
I asked the farmer for advice on making apricot jam, and she told me that the key to making jam was to not over think it. I’m certainly guilty of over thinking things, so that was wisdom I could use. I then asked her if she had any other advice and she said, “People who don’t use Sure-Jell are snobs!”
Well, that was not what I wanted to hear! I have no problem with Sure-Jell, but after my pectin disaster last summer I wanted my jam to have a softer set, so I asked her if it was possible to make a decent jam without it. “Of course,” she replied. “Just make sure you have enough sugar.
How much is enough sugar? I heard everything from a one-to-one ratio of sugar to uncooked fruit to a 3/4-to-one ratio of sugar to uncooked fruit. Wanting to keep my jam slightly tart, I went with the latter.
After slicing my apricots and removing the pits, I measured how much I had and then threw them in a large pot. I added 3/4 cup of sugar for every cup of sliced fruit and one tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of fruit. To later test for doneness, I place a plate in the freezer.
I placed the pot on a burner, turned the heat to medium low and stirred the mixture every few minutes. It became juicy. And then the fruit began to turn to mush. There was foam, but I just kept stirring. After about an hour, the mixture was like a thick sauce, with a few small chunks of fruit but for the most part soft and smooth.
Thinking that the jam looked good and not wanting it to get too overcooked, I took out my plate from the freezer and plopped a dollop of jam on it to see if it was ready. After a minute, I turned the plate to see if it ran, and the jam did. So I cooked it for five more minutes and then repeated the frozen-plate test. This time, the jam stayed solid. The jam was done.
I packed it into sterilized jars, putting a chopped chipotle with one teaspoon of adobo sauce into one of the jars for the most incredible spicy-sweet jam, and then put my jars in the refrigerator. And the next morning I had the most beautifully set, tart and fragrant apricot jam to put on my peanut-butter toast.
Now, I’m sure that there are more scientific methods out there that employ thermometers and timers, but I found this method worked fine for me. But I’m still just a beginner, so please let me know in the comments what tips you have for making jam, so we can all become better at this age-old preservation process!
Apricot jam
Ingredients
- 1 pound sliced apricots, pitted
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Place the apricots, sugar, lemon juice and zest in a pot, and add a couple of tablespoons of water.
- Place a plate into the freezer.
- Turn the heat to medium low, and stirring every 5 minutes or so, let the fruit cook. It will first get juicy with the fruit intact, and then the fruit will start to disintegrate. As it cooks, there will be foam on top, but just keep stirring, don’t worry about skimming it.
- After about 30 minutes, the jam will be about 2 or 3 shades darker and will be smooth and thick, with a few lumps here and there. When it coats the back of a spoon, take out the plate from the freezer and place a dollop of the jam on the plate. If it runs, cook it for five more minutes and then test it again. But if becomes solid, then the jam is done.
- Place in a sterilized half-pint jar(s).
- When it comes to room temperature, put on the lid and then place in the refrigerator. After a few hours it will be more solid and ready for eating.
I live in the TX panhandle, and we didn't have apricots this year! My Moms' back yard looks like a small orchard-full of apricot and peach trees, so I've really missed them this year!! But, I may have to (forgive me Lord) buy some and fix a jar or two!! I love your site!! I've always been too busy to learn computer stuff, but I LOVE your stories and recipes!! My husband works in the oilfield, and when it started slowing down a few months ago, we considered moving out of TX. But, when I started reading your site, it honestly made me pinch pennies even tighter, because, I knew I'd never be happy anywhere else–I'm tooooo much Texan! Yes, I'd be the one easy to spot in any other state, because I'd be the one with the cowboy boots on!ha! Thanks for reminding me how deeply devoted of a Texan that I really am!! AND, our families must have known somewhere down the line–the cooking, recipes, and all are too close to my upraising!!
I had an apricot jam moment a few weeks ago after watching Anna Olson on Food Network Canada make some and jumped right in.
I checked her recipe and felt like it called for way too much sugar( as I think your's does) and cut it in half. Used half as much pectin as she called for as well. Results were awesome. btw, I added a few ginger slices for flavour.
I think it would be far too sweet if I used all the sugar it called for.
Garbrielaskitchen–The apricots this year are incredible!
Aline–Now why have I never thought to pair peaches with rosemary? Outstanding!
Jennywenny–Oh, no! That sounds like it would be mess to clean up! But I agree, it's a very intuitive process.
Radish–Yep, perseverance is key!
Arlene–I'm keeping this in the refrigerator as I'm still not secure in my skills.
Melissa–I'm a convert and now I love it, too!
Whitney–I bet there will be–we just started seeing them in NY a couple of weeks ago.
Soma–Thank you! And you would definitely need pectin for a watermelon jam–so much water.
Mary–I'm not a Virgo, which is probably good for me because if I were I'd probably be even more of an overthinker!
Elizabeth–I agree–it's so delicious on English muffins. I love waking up to apricot jam!
Krulle–I will definitely try tomato jam! And thanks for the tip about the foam.
ToyLady–If I can do it, you definitely can do it!
Lisa–The chipotle version is wonderful–so smoky with a bit of heat. I put some on a pork chop and swooned!
MaryR in KY–I definitely want to make hot pepper jam when those come into season. And I've made refrigerator pickles before–so easy!
TBSamsel–I had no idea that Colorado was known for its apricots. I'll have to try them sometime.
Kayd–Happy to help. But I can't believe there aren't pinto beans in Australia. It seems the climate there is similar to our Southwest part of the states–surely they could grow there. And if I had two bushels of lemon I'd make lemonade, lemon pie, pickled lemons and lemon curd. And what a great tip about the apples!
Anon–I'll have to try boiling the jars next time. And I can't wait until we get figs so I can make fig jam. Yum!
Farmer Jam–Ha! That was just one person's opinion–I don't think you're a snob! And I'll have to try it with 2/3 cup of sugar. Can't wait to hear the name of the book!
Tx Blue Eyed Bandit–That's how you can spot me in NYC–I'm always wearing my cowboy boots! And I heard there was little peach and apricot crop in Texas this year–that's a shame. Thanks for the kind words and good to hear y'all are staying put in Texas!
Tommy–I think we Southerners just like things sweeter than you as you've commented on my sugar quantities before! That said, if you can make it with a smaller amount, I'm all for that–I want to still taste the tart fruit. And the ginger does sound awesome.
Just wanted to say thank you for your wonderful blog! And while your apricot jam with chipotle sounds irresistable, I would also LOVE to know how you make your lemon pickles!
First of all, love your blog! (native texan here, living in Portland, OR)
Several folks have chimed in on the topic of pectin, so I won't belabor the point. But, why use pectin when you don't have to? It requires that you use a lot more sugar, which in turn, means using less fruit. What's snobby about not wanting to use a ton (sometimes up to 7 cups) of sugar to make a a few pints of raspberry jam? I just came across a great book that doesn't rely on commercial pectin to make great jam (and no, I'm not getting a kick back!) 🙂 called The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves: 200 Classic and Contemporary Recipes Showcasing the Fabulous Flavors of Fresh Fruits by Linda Ziedrich.