An easy step-by-step tutorial on canning apricots. This recipe for preserving apricots is perfect for beginners and experienced canners alike. Instructions include low-sugar and no-sugar options.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Canning
Cuisine: American
Keyword: canned apricots, how to can apricots, preserving apricots
Prepare your water bath canner by filling it with water. You just need to have enough water to cover the jars by 1 inch once the water is boiling.
Set the canner 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 apricots are.
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 170F.
Wash your lids and set aside in clean place.
Fill a medium bowl with 4 cups of water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice or 1 tbsp of citric acid.
4 cups water, 1/4 cup lemon juice
Use a paring knife and cut the apricot around the middle to separate. Remove the pit and place the apricots in the bowl of lemon water.
16 lbs apricots
In a medium-sized pot, combine sugar/honey/or juice and water to create the syrup. Pro tip: if you're planning to do a large batch of apricots all at once, use a crockpot to create and keep the bulk of the syrup hot. It frees up space on the stove.
5 3/4 cups water, 1 1/2 cups sugar
Add one layer of apricots at a time to the syrup and cook for 2 minutes. One layer at a time basically means don’t overcrowd the pot.
Add the apricots cavity-side (where the pit was) down to the sanitized and warm canning jars. This is easiest done with a fork. Repeat with other apricot halves until you have filled the jar. Pro tip: depending on the size of the fruit, each quart will fit about 2 1/4 pounds of apricots.
At this point, return your water in the canner back to a rolling boil.
Using a canning funnel, carefully and slowly ladle hot syrup into the jars over the apricots, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Headspace is the distance between the top of the food and the top of the jar.
Using a long utensil (I prefer a plastic chopstick), remove all the air bubbles from the jar.
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.
Gently place your jars in the canner using canning tongs.
Put the canner lid on, and set your timer. Hot packed pints should process for 20 minutes, and quarts for 25 at sea level. See the chart above in the post for altitude adjustments. Pro tip: the water must return to a boil in the canner before you can start the timer.
Once the apricots have processed for the appropriate amount of time, remove the canner from the burner, carefully take off the lid, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Pro tip: remove the lid wearing oven mitts as the steam is HOT!
Carefully remove the jars using canning tongs, 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, 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
Canned apricots will last for 12 months in a cool dark place.