Today I am going to touch on one of my favorite and easiest recipes of the summer months. Apricot jam! Every year we enjoy homemade jam, and it is one of the easiest things you will ever make. Making your own can be cheaper than store bought.
First, I would like to talk a little about where I get my fruit. This is how I make my jam come in under store bought costs. I purchase fruit always as seconds or imperfect fruit. Most farm stands sell it at a fraction of the cost of perfect fruit. And let’s face it, the fruit doesn’t have to be perfect. You are cutting it into small pieces and then cooking it for a long time with a lot of sugar. It doesn’t have to be perfect because by the time you get done with all the processing you will never know the difference. I will admit there is a big difference in taste between ugly fruit and perfect looking fruit. Just kidding there is no difference in taste at all. If you start to read a recipe for jam that says “first take the best fruit you can find” stop reading and just come right back here to my recipe. Those people are trying to waste your money. I’m glad I got that off my chest.
When you go to the farm stand for your “seconds” fruit, you will, most of the time, have to go to the back room to get it. Makes the whole thing seem a little shady. But it is so much more fun when you spent $8 instead of $25 to make your jam.
The Ratio
Apricot jam is so easy because I use a simple equation of five cups of fruit to two cups of sugar. This will get you a nice thick jam with no pectin necessary to thicken it. I like to let some of the liquid evaporate from the jam for at least 20-30 minutes to thicken it. You have to keep stirring it to keep it from sticking, but if you like a thicker jam this extra time is crucial.
Finally the amount of lime you use is up to you, I like a little bit of a sweet tart flavor to my jam so I add more lime. The lime makes it more shelf stable so leaving it out is not an option. But if you really aren’t a fan of tart jam, one small lime is the way to go.
Have you seen our other recipes? We did a whole episode on our favorite method of cooking. Check it out HERE. We also included a few of our favorite savory dishes in that episode.
Apricot Jam
Equipment
- pan
- pint canning jars with rings and lids
- water bathing equipment
Ingredients
- 5 cups Apricots
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 tbsp lime juice (about 2 small limes)
Instructions
- First place a small plate in the freezer.
- Cut your apricots into small pieces. I personally don’t like big chunks in my jam, so I cut them quite small. After they are cut I add them into my big measuring cup. Some people think you need to peel them, but unlike peaches their skin is very soft and melds into the jam after you have cooked them for a few minutes.
- After you have the amount of fruit cut that you want add it to your pan and set your heat on medium.
- While that is starting to heat up you can measure out your sugar and add that in too.
- At this point you want to let it cook down for a bit, about 20-30 minutes, while keeping a constant watch on it and stirring frequently. The idea of this step is to let some of the liquid from the fruit boil off a bit so you end up with a thicker jam.
- Now you can add in your lime. I like to wait until some time has gone by, because you can add lime to taste, and without all that extra liquid in there you are going to be able to taste what the finished product will taste like. If you like your jam less tart, start with just 1 ½ tablespoons of lime, then add more if you want it more tart. I might add more than 3 depending on how sweet the fruit is.
- This is the time to get out your plate. Drip a little drop of your jam on the plate. It should thicken and not really run down the plate. If it still looks runny you might want to let it cook for a little bit longer.
- I like to waterbath can mine when it is all done, it’s an easy process. Use 3 pint jars, there may be a little less or more depending on how much water was in your fruit and how long you had to let it boil to thicken.
- To Can
- Put hot jam in hot jars with about an inch of head space
- Wipe rims
- Finger tighten lids
- Put jars in canner. Ensure there is at least an inch of water above the top of your lid
- Process 15 minutes
- Turn off heat and allow to sit for about 5 minutes
- Remove from canner and listen for the very satisfying ping
- If any jars don’t seal, place in the fridge to be consumed first. Or reprocess.
- Toast up some yummy bread and slather your apricot jam liberally. Enjoy!!
