As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
My old-fashioned apricot jam is a delightful homemade fruit spread that you’re going to love! Made without pectin and lower in sugar than traditional jam recipes, these apricot preserves taste fresh and are like a tasty bite of summer and sunshine.
Anything apricot reminds me of my Nana and her best friend, Irma. Irma had an apricot tree, and they would work together putting up ALL things apricot!
Thanks to my method, where we slow down the cooking process a bit, my apricot jam recipe is able to set up without buckets of sugar, and no pectin is needed.
I think Ramona and Irma would approve!
Calling all the cool kids – Let’s Make Apricot Jam!
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
Canning Prep
Prepare your water bath canner by filling it with water and setting it on the stove. Turn the burner to high. Once it reaches a boil, reduce it to a simmer. You want to keep the water hot so that everything is ready when the jam is.
Wash and sanitize your jars. You’ll want to keep them warm to avoid having them crack when placed in the canner. You can fill them with hot water or place them on a tray in the oven at 170˚F.
Wash your lids and set them aside in a clean place. You no longer need to simmer lids in water to keep them sterile. Woot!
Making the Apricot Preserves
My favorite kitchen tool for this part of the recipe is this heavy-bottomed pot. It will heat the jam evenly, and it’s deep enough to avoid boil-over accidents. If you’ve ever had to clean sticky hot jam off your stovetop, you’ll know that we want to avoid a boil-over at all costs!
Canning Apricot Jam
For this part of the recipe, you’ll want a funnel (this is my favorite) and canning tongs. In a pinch, I’ve used generic silicone cooking tongs, but your life is going to be much easier with actual canning tongs.
Add your jars to the boiling water, and put the canner lid on. Pro tip: you must have at least 1 inch of water over the tops of the jars for safe canning. Processing times will vary based on altitude. See the chart below.
Processing Times for No-Pectin Apricot Jam
| Processing Time for No-Pectin Apricot Preserves | ||||
| Process Times at Altitudes of: | ||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | 0-1,000 ft | 1,001-6,000 ft | Aove 6,000 ft |
| Hot | Half-Pints & Pints | 5 min | 10 min | 15 min |
| *Source: National Center For Home Food Preservation | ||||
Once the processing time is up, remove the canner from the heat, remove the lid of the canner, and let the canner sit for 5 minutes. Use canning tongs to remove the jars and place them on towels on the counter. Make sure you put them where they can be undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
The lids will likely start to pop within 20-30 minutes of being removed from the water. That popping sound is music to your ears, as it tells you that everything has been sealed. It’s a reward for all your work!
After the jars have rested for about 12 hours, press down in the middle of each lid. If it “gives” at all, the jar didn’t seal. Either enjoy it that day, put it in the fridge, or reprocess it using a brand new lid.
Once you find yourself bitten by the canning bug (it’s inevitable!), check out all of my other jam recipes.
Old-Fashioned Apricot Preserves (No Pectin)
Equipment
- Tongs
Ingredients
- ice
- 4 lbs ripe apricots {to yield ~8 cups of chopped apricots}
- 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
Making Apricot Jam
- Fill a large mixing bowl with ice water. Set aside.ice
- Use a paring knife and cut the apricot around the middle to separate. Remove the pit. Put the halves in a large bowl of water treated with lemon juice (~1/4 cup) or citric acid (1 tbsp).4 lbs ripe apricots, 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
- Add one layer of apricots at a time to a pot of boiling water for about 60 seconds.
- Remove using a slotted spoon and place in the ice water for 2-3 minutes.
- Use the slotted spoon to remove the apricot halves from the ice bath. Grab one of the apricots and gently peel the skin back.
- Roughly chop the peeled apricots.
- Place the chopped apricots in a heavy-bottomed pot and cook, stirring often, over medium heat until they have softened. This could take 10-25 minutes, depending on the ripeness of your apricots. Add splashes of water if the preserves are starting to burn.
- Once the apricots have softened, gently mash them using a potato masher, wooden spoon, or pastry cutter.
- Once the apricots are mashed to your preference, add the sugar, and increase the stove temperature to medium-high.2 cups sugar
- Bring the apricots to a low boil, stirring constantly for two minutes.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook the preserves down, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and the volume has been reduced by about 20-30%. Skim any foam off the surface.
Canning Apricot Jam
- While the preserves are cooking, start your canning prep.
- Prepare your water bath canner by filling it with water. You need to have enough water to cover the jars by 1 inch once the water is boiling.
- Set the canner on the stove with the lid on. Turn the burner to high. If it reaches a boil before you’re done making the preserves, reduce it to a simmer, keeping the lid on.
- Wash and clean your jars. You’ll want to keep them warm to avoid having them crack when placed in the canner. You can fill them with hot water, or place them on a tray in the oven at 170˚F.
- Wash your lids and set them aside in a clean place.
- Using a canning funnel, ladle the hot preserves into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Clean the rim of the jar very well with a hot damp rag.
- Place a clean lid on the jar. Add a ring, and tighten to fingertip tight.
- Using canning tongs, add jars to the boiling water, and put the canner lid on.
- Process pints and half-pints based on the elevation guide below:*0-1,000 ft = 5 minutes*1,001-6,000 ft = 10 minutes*6,000 ft+ = 15 minutes
- Once the apricots have processed for the appropriate amount of time, remove the canner from the burner, carefully remove the lid, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Pro tip: due to steam, I wear oven mitts while removing the lid.
- Using canning tongs, carefully remove the jars, and place them on a thick towel in a place where they can be undisturbed for 12 hours.
- After the jars have rested for about 12 hours, gently press down in the middle of each lid. If it "gives" at all, the jar didn't seal. Either enjoy it that day, put it in the fridge, or reprocess it.
Notes
- As it cooks down, the preserves will darken in color. This is normal and ok!
- Once the jars are sealed, remove the rings. Label and store sealed jars in a cool (best results are 50-70˚F) dark place for 12-18 months.
- Once you open a jar, refrigerate the jar for 1-3 weeks.
- Makes 6 half-pints.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
