Best 3 Homemade Apricot Jam Recipes

HOMEMADE APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Stir apricots, lemon juice, and sugar together in a large pot over medium heat; add butter to reduce foaming. Bring apricot mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in pectin; return to a full boil until pectin is dissolved, 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal spoon.
• Sterilize jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack apricot jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 5 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, for at least 24 hours. Press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). It may take up to 2 weeks for jam to set. Store in a cool, dark area.

HOMEMADE APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Halve and pit apricots. Wrap half the pits in cheesecloth, and crack the remaining ones open with a hammer. Pick out the kernels and set aside. Discard the cracked shells.
• Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place sugar in a large shallow pan and put in oven. Turn off oven and let sugar warm for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, combine the apricots and water in a large kettle over low heat. Cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the warmed sugar and wrapped pits and simmer for 30 minutes; remove pits and continue cooking until mixture reaches 221 degrees on a candy thermometer or falls in sheets from a spoon, about 15 minutes more.
• Remove from heat. Skim off and discard foam. Stir in reserved kernels, then ladle jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe excess jam from inside and outside rims, then seal.

HOMEMADE RASPBERRY APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Add the apricots, raspberries, and sugar to a large Dutch oven.
• TIP: At this point rub some butter around the top of the Dutch oven. The fat (butter) keeps the jam from boiling over. Boiled over jam is a real mess!
• Slowly bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat (it took me about 30 minutes to get to this point), stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
• Turn the heat up a little and cook rapidly (stirring often to prevent sticking) until the jam reaches the gelling point. For me this took about 17 more minutes.
• TIP: Watch out for spitting. The closer the jam gets to the gelling point, the further it will spit - and it's hot!
• Use the plate method to check for gelling or use a digital thermometer. Gelling is reached at 220 degrees or 8 degrees above the boiling point of water.
• Spoon the hot jam into prepared jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace.
• Wipe the lip of each jar with a damp paper towel, top the jars with a lid and a lid ring.
• Process the jars in a water bath canner for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.