Description
Indulge your taste buds with the delightful sweetness of homemade apricot jam. This easy-to-follow recipe requires just a few simple ingredients and a bit of patience for a delicious reward. Perfect for spreading on toast, dolloping on desserts, or gifting to friends and family.
Ingredients
2kg (4.4 lbs) ripe apricots, halved
800g (1.7 lbs) sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla paste (15 ml)
3 tablespoons of lemon juice (45 ml)
Instructions
Day 1 - Prepare the apricots
1. Wash and dry apricots.
2. Cut apricots in half, remove and discard stones.
3. In a large bowl, combine the halved apricots with the sugar and vanilla paste.
4. Cover the bowl with a lid or cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Day 2 - The next day, the apricots will have exuded some of their juices and dissolved most of the sugar.
5. Put apricot and sugar mixture into a large stainless steel pot or dutch oven (enamel coated cast iron pot) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
6. When the apricot mixture starts to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that the apricot jam doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
Chef’s note: While the apricot jam is simmering, you may notice froth/scum accumulating on the surface. Use a large slotted spoon to skim the surface now and again to remove as much of this scum as possible. Be careful not to remove too much of the sugar syrup the fruit is cooking in.
7. While the jam is simmering, prepare and sterilize your jars.
8. After simmering for 25 - 30 minutes, check the jam. If the apricots are cooked down, but some pieces are still retaining their shape and the sugar syrup is thick and glossy, test the jam to see if it’s ready. (If not keep simmering on low for another 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point the jam can stick to the bottom and burn very quickly, so keep a firm eye on it.)
9. If the apricot jam has reached setting point 105°C (220°F), stir in the lemon juice and turn off the heat. Leave to cool in the pot for 5 - 10 minutes.
10. Stir the jam and spoon into warm sterilized jars. Leave about 0.5cm (¼-inch) of headspace at the top. Wipe rims of jars with a clean damp cloth. Use a knife or a skewer to remove any air bubbles in the jam. Seal the jam with tight-fitting screw top lids and allow it to cool completely before labeling.
11. Store jam in a cool dry place for a couple of months. Refrigerate once opened.
Notes
Methods and tips to sterilize jam jars:
Oven Method - Wash the jars, and place on a baking tray with the lids. Preheat the oven to 110°C/225°F, dry the jars in the warm oven for 20 - 30 minutes. Cool slightly before filling with jam.
Boiling Water Bath Method - Wash the jars, and place in a pot, filled with warm water. Bring water to boil, boil jars for 10 minutes. Add the lids to the boiling water for 20 seconds. Drain upside-down on a clean dish cloth. Air-dry, then turn right-side-up to dry.
Microwave Method - Wash the jars, and fill the jars halfway with water, microwave for 1 minute. Swirl the hot water around, drain jars upside-down on a clean dish cloth. Air-dry, then turn right-side-up to dry.
Dishwasher Method - Place jars and lids in the dishwasher separately. Run the dishwasher with preferred detergent. Ensure the drying setting is on to dry jars.
How to check setting point (gel stage) of a jam:
1. Using a Sugar Thermometer - Stir jam, dip thermometer in boiling water, then place in jam. Move the thermometer without touching the base of the pot. Jam sets at 105°C (220°F).
2. Wrinkle Test - Chill a saucer in the freezer. Spoon hot jam on the saucer, let it cool. Push the jam with your fingertip; the top of the jam should be set and ‘wrinkled’. If slight wrinkles appear, cook for another 2 - 3 minutes, then test the jam again.
3. Flake Test - Coat a metal spoon in jam, and let it cool briefly. Hold the spoon horizontally, and shake. The jam is ready if it runs off the spoon in one flat ‘flake’.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 - 30 minutes
- Category: Jams and Preserves
- Method: Stovetop
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tbsp
- Calories: 103
- Sugar: 24.8 g
- Sodium: 0.7 mg
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.9 g
- Protein: 0.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
