Quick apricot jam

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Easy 8 minute small batch apricot jam in a jar

My paternal grandmother Betty used to make the most incredible apricot jam and I remember the delight I felt as a child finding a more-or-less whole apricot in the jam and then squishing this on my toast.

How to make small batch quick apricot jaam
Fresh apricots

I started making apricot jam about 10 years ago and bottled these under the name ‘Sam’s jams’.  The friends and family were pleased, but oh what a mission it was to do. I would make about 10 kg’s at a time and boil multiple pots on the stove for hours unable to leave my flat. Due to the scale of the project, I have not made jam since those vintages of 1999 and 2000.

I really do love the concept of preserving, so when I found myself with a massive amount of the most beautiful imported and out-of-season strawberries after an international TV shoot, there was no way I was not going to convert these treasures into something longer-lasting.

I came across a recipe for a ‘small batch’ strawberry jam on YouTube and what a win it was.  It takes about 20 minutes to make and produces a jam that is so much about the fruit and less about the sugar. I love it.

I followed the recipe using apricots the other night and it worked out perfectly. It’s so easy. I’m planning on buying a little extra fruit each time this summer and making up a quick batch to bottle and give away as gifts.

I have updated this post with better pics and a recipe reel on the easiest 8-minute apricot jam.

How to make small batch quick apricot jam
bubbling in the pan

…..I couldn’t wait,  so I scraped the pan down and spread it on a toasted whole-wheat crumpet. So delicious, quite tart, not too sweet.

I still may go back to making apricot jam the way my grandmother did if only to find the whole apricot again.

How to make quick and easy small batch apricot jam
bottled and ready for gifting

Other quick jams you might like:

The best 8-minute strawberry jam (video)

Quick strawberry jam with Pimms, ginger, and balsamic

red pepper and chilli jam

Small batch quick apricot jam

How to make a small batch of apricot jam quickly
Print Recipe
Quick small batch apricot jaam
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:8 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups apricots quartered about 600gms
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

  • put all ingredients in a wide shallow pan/ pot on high and cook for about 8 - 10 minutes.
  • the wider the better as this facilitates quick evaporation and thus quicker jammification
  • to test if the jam is ready, freeze a side plate for 5 minutes. Drop a dollop of jam on the cold plate. Run your finger through the middle. if the jam stays apart and doesn't immediately join back together, it's jammy enough.
  • at the same time boil the storage jars in a large pot of water - remove and drain
  • scoop the hot jam into the jars and seal
  • pop the sealed jars back into the boiling water for 10 minutes (this gets rid of any bacteria, etc)
  • remove from the pot, drain and allow to cool
Author: Sam Linsell


 
 

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24 Comments

  1. Smart Larry says:

    Looks delicious

  2. Maureen Schlenk says:

    fantastic recipe!! omgosh this is awesome. we are such apricot jam sluts in our house its positively embarassing. Now we can produce our own really quickly. I too have a recipe that takes ages to produce a few jars and its too tedious for the most part. so thanks so much for this.
    p.s. i have pretty much spent the entire day, between actual work and your blog which is minimised on my screen – it’s just beautiful – thank you so much xxx

  3. Thank you so much for the comment and anyway work is overrated, much better to read food blogs 🙂
    Sam

  4. Jacquie Donovan says:

    Hi Sam

    Thanks so much for the Kumquat marmalade recipe. I have made it a few times and it is foolproof and yummy. I dislike Australian Marmalade and the your recipe is the closest I have come to English thick cut, which I love. Look forward to trying more of your recipes. Jacquie

  5. Thanks for the lovely feedback Jacquie. Im keen to try this recipe on other citrus too.

  6. Gonna try this tomorrow.. Tree in the back is full of ripe apricots..

  7. Hi Febe – lucky you an enjoy. Remeber a big big pan.

    sam

  8. Im going to try this jam today. Thankyou.

  9. Awesome Denice – enjoy!

  10. Do you skin the apricots and remove pit before cooking? If so how

  11. Finally an easy and quick jam recipe that actually works! Best one I’ve ever tried.

  12. HI Alison, thats so cool and also my first ever blog post.

  13. Awesome recipe and easy to do. Imma first timer on this and everyone thought it was better than store bought.Thanks a lot

  14. Im glad yo uenjoyed it Aurelia. thanks sam

  15. Can I double the batch or will that affect the consistency?

  16. Hi Michelle, yes it will. The beauty of this recipe is that it works for a small batch. It cooks quickly because liquid evaporates easily with the small quantity of fruit so I would rather do 2 x small batches if you wanted to double this up.

  17. Darlyn Bentley says:

    Hi I will be trying your recipe tomorrow. How long is the shelf life doing it this way.

  18. HI Daryl, I haven’t done an extended shelf life test but it should be fine for a month or a little more in the fridge.

  19. Darlyn Bentley says:

    Ty Sam was hoping would last for the holidays .
    Darlyn

  20. Hello
    and thank you for the recipe. A lady asked above if you skinned your apricots and I too would like to know. Eager to try this recipe right away.

  21. Hi Rebecca, I have never skinned apricots for jam (or anything) before.

  22. If it’s as good as your strawberry jam….can’t wait! Does it need to be kept in the fridge

  23. minal Doshi says:

    My apricots are very ripe and likely very sweet. Do I need to adjust the sugar in this recipe?

  24. Hi Minal – yes you can definitely adjust the sugar down a bit if the apricots are very sweet, but this isn’t an overly sweet jam. Its all about the fruit

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