Easy Apricot Jam
If you’re looking for an easy apricot jam recipe, then my Apricot Jam is the one you need. It uses only 3 ingredients. Apricots, sugar and lemon. That’s it. You can’t get any easier than that!
If you want a good Apricot Jam, you have to make it yourself. Store-bought Apricot Jam is usually made from dried apricots, not fresh, which is why it is so lacking in flavour. Mid to late summer is apricot season, and it’s definitely a season I look forward to. Homemade Apricot Jam is utterly divine and one of my favourites.
To make the jam, you’ll need equal quantities of apricots and sugar and a lemon for each kilo. So, for every 1kg of apricots, you’ll need 1kg of sugar, and 1 lemon. I recommend making this jam in one kilo batches. Anything more than that and it'll take longer to cook to reach setting temperature, and the colour of the jam goes darker. It doesn’t affect the taste, but if you want a clear, vibrant, gorgeous colour jam, smaller batches are the way to go.
If you’re lucky enough to have your own apricot tree, pick a few slightly underripe apricots as well as the ripe ones. The underripe apricots help with setting the jam as they contain more pectin. Or more to the point, the more overripe your fruit is, the less pectin it has. Also, if your fruit is damaged, has black spot or otherwise looks decidedly average, that’s okay too. It’s still suitable for jam making. And if you’ve forgotten to net your tree and the birds are having a field day, you can pick the fruit early while they’re still slightly underripe. Leave the apricots on the counter for a few days inside and they’ll continued to ripen.
To make the jam, grab yourself a kilo of apricots, including some underripe ones, and cut or tear them in half and remove the stone. Cut off any yucky bits and the end stalks if they’re there. If you only have ripe apricots, you might end up with a slightly runnier jam due to the extra juice these fruits contain. I personally don’t mind a runny jam. The flavour will still be great.
Once you’ve chopped your apricots, add them to a large pot with a splash of water (about quarter of a cup). If all your apricots are super ripe, you don’t need to worry about the water, it just helps start the cooking process if your apricots are slightly firmer. Add a lemon, cut in half, to the pot as this adds pectin to the jam and helps it set and also keeps the vibrant colour. Pop a side plate into the freezer to test for jam set a bit later.
Cook your fruit over a medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes until soft and pulpy, stirring occasionally to stop it catching on the bottom. Once the apricots have cooked down completely, squeeze the juice from the lemon and discard the rind. Then pour in 1 kilo of sugar and stir to combine. The sugar will melt quite quickly as the jam is a bubbling pot of liquid lava. At this point, you can choose to stick-mix the jam for a smooth set, or else leave it for a chunkier jam. Bring the jam back to a boil (without it boiling over) and then simmer on a low to medium heat for about 15 minutes, then test to see if the jam has set. You are probably going to need to stir more regularly at this stage.
To test for set, remove the plate from the freezer and place about a teaspoon of jam on the plate and let it cool down for about 10 seconds. Run your finger through the jam and if it parts like the red sea, it’s set. If the jam pools back on itself, it’s still runny and you should let it blip away for another 5 minutes before trying again.
Once your jam is set, ladle into clean, dry jars. No need to sterilise the jars first, the jam is so bloody hot it’ll sterilize the jar itself. Pour the jam to about 5mm from the top of the jar, pop on the lid and then place it upside down on the bench for 3 minutes to sterilise the lid. After 3 minutes, turn the jar right side up.
Your jam should last for 2 years on the shelf, if you keep it out of direct sunlight and away from heat. But it’s too good to leave uneaten for two years, so enjoy it on toast, swirled into cakes or topped on your granola in the morning.
You can download a free copy of this recipe using the button below. You can also check out my YouTube video for step-by-step instructions for this Easy Apricot Jam recipe.
If you like this recipe, you can purchase my book Fall in Love with Preserving, which contains over 50 delicious preserves using my simple no-fuss method. I also offer an online course, Preserving for Beginners, which contains videos, printable recipes and lifetime access.