The easiest 8-minute small batch apricot jam
When apricots are in season in the early summer, I love to make my favourite eight-minute small-batch apricot jam. The fruit and sugar cook rapidly to make the most delicious jam that is all about the fruit and less about the sugar. This is the easiest jam recipe I know.
Today I celebrate my blog Drizzleanddip.com turning 14 years old. This quick apricot jam was the first recipe I ever posted on this website, and it is incredibly nostalgic.
It was inspired by my paternal grandmother Betty and a fond childhood food memory I had of eating her homemade apricot jam.
Finding a whole piece of apricot in the jam, and spreading it over my toast was thrilling to me as a child, and although this recipe is not my grandmother’s, I attempt to recreate that experience.
I have been making small-batch fruit jams using this method ever since. You can see the best 8-minute strawberry jam, or my quick strawberry jam with Pimms, ginger & balsamic, and my 10-minute peach jam with red muscadel.
In my original recipe, I used 600 grams of apricots but after having made 3 batches this week, I now prefer the ratio of 700 grams. Once you remove the pips the weight will drop anyway.
This jam is all about the flavour of the fruit and less about the sugar. If you prefer a sweeter jam, you could increase the sugar by 2 – 3 tablespoons.
I have decided to keep that first post intact as a reminder of how it all started and how far I have come. The date is also significant as it was the start of this blog.
How to make and perfect small batch apricot jam
Make sure your apricots are very ripe. They can even be slightly overripe, but they should not be hard in any place.
Start by putting the halved apricots, sugar and lemon juice or liqueur into a very wide-rimmed pan. You can even use an electric frying pan as this has a bigger surface area. This recipe will not work if you use a small pot or pan.
The wide surface area of the pan placed over high heat allows the quick evapouration of the liquid and gets the apricot jam to its set point more quickly. Do not double this recipe either. Rather, make more small batches.
Set the heat to high and stir the ingredients to release the liquid. As the liquid starts to bubble, set a timer for 8 minutes.
Stir continuously as you cook the jam for 7 – 8 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break up the fruit as it cooks. In the end, you will still have some chunks of fruit in the jam.
To be precise, the jam is set when it reaches 105 °C/221°F on a sugar thermometer. At this point, take it off the heat and allow it to cool a little before scooping it into your jar.
10 ways to enjoy apricot jam
- Aside from apricot jam being so delicious on toast, I like it with cream cheese or ricotta cheese on toast to give it a cheesecake-toast vibe. I also adore apricot jam on toast with Cheddar cheese or a cheese scone.
- I love to use a thin layer under the middle layer of chocolate buttercream frosting in a chocolate cake. It adds a delicious tart edge.
- Add apricot jam to shortbread squares and replace the whisky marmalade in this delicious recipe.
- I am tempted to use it instead of strawberry jam in a Victorian sponge cake.
- Apricot jam is delicious with Dijon mustard as a glaze for gammon.
- Fold it through Greek yoghurt to serve in a bowl or on fluffy ricotta pancakes.
- Spread onto crepe pancakes with vanilla ice cream.
- Swirled through homemade vanilla bean ice cream.
- Dollop it on top of bruschetta or crostini with whipped goat cheese.
- Spread on French toast with fresh apricots and cream cheese.
This recipe makes 1 x standard 500ml jar (16 oz standard pint jar).
This jam is quick and will last in the fridge for a few months. To preserve the jam for the shelf, follow these canning instructions.
8 minute Small Batch Apricot Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 700 grams ripe apricots (the whole fruit weight) then remove the pips and cut them in half
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice or orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients into a wide, shallow pan. Turn the heat to high. Once the mixture starts to bubble, set a timer for 8 minutes.
- Cook the jam, stirring almost constantly for this time. The jam is at the set point when it reaches 105 °C on a thermometer.
- The wider the pan, the better, as this facilitates quick evaporation and thus quicker setting.
- If you do not have a thermometer, and 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 set enough.
- If you want to preserve this jam for a longer period in your pantry, boil the storage jar in a large pot of water, remove and drain.
- Scoop the hot jam into the jar, allowing a 2 cm gap between the jam and the lid and seal.
- Place the sealed jars back into the boiling water, fully submerged for 10 minutes. You should hear your lid make a popping sound. This is when it is properly sealed.
- Remove the jam bottle from the pot, drain and allow to cool.
Notes
A few other stone fruit desserts you will love
The perfect easy apricot torte
Easy apricots poached in chamomile tea
The best cherry galette with a flaky crust
Nectarine, blueberry and bourbon pie
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I only had one pound of apricots, so I reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup, but still used 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Oh my goodness! It turned out amazing! The absolute best apricot jam I’ve ever had.
I’m so glad you liked this recipe as much as I do.
Should I weigh the fruit before removing the stones?
Hi Vee, it is the whole fruit weight, then remove and halve the apricots: ‘In my original recipe, I used 600 grams of apricots but after having made 3 batches this week, I now prefer the ratio of 700 grams. Once the pips are removed the weight will drop anyway.’
Instead of canning, can this recipe be frozen?
Hi Teri, the jam lasts quite long even without canning it properly. I have never found the need to freeze jam. I just don’t see how it’s necessary but it would be possible.
Oh my goodness! I just made this with some of the apricots from our tree. So easy, and SO delicious!!
I’m so glad you loved it Donna. A fave recipe of mine for sure.
I made this jam twice in the past week with apricots that fell off our tree. Amazing! Super easy recipe. Thank you!
Im so glad you loved it Kristy and thanks for letting me know. Enjoy. Im about to turn a batch I made last summer into ice cream.
Most popular Christmas gift this year! And so easy to make. Thanks
Hi Sue, I am so glad to hear that you loved this recipe
I’ve just made this and it’s come out beautiful. To make it up to 750 I had 2 sweet plums which I put in and I also reduced sugar to a big 1/2 cup and very nice. Thankyou
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Kathy
I may have overcooked my jam it looks brown in the jar not golden..Is it still good to eat? It did not bur it just boiled more upfront before I put the timer on. Thanks:)
Hi Chris, sorry this happened, it can cook very quickly if you have the temperature up too high and a very big pan. I’m glad you still enjoyed it.
Love this recipe. Have a friend with a large tree so have made several times in the past couple of weeks. Very simple, easy to follow. Because I don’t have scale I had to work out an equivalent measurement. Works out to about 4 cups of pitted an halved fruit to 1 cup sugar and two tablespoons lemon juice. Does take more the 8 minutes to get it well set. I did double the recipe once and it worked out fine but did take more than double the time to cook it down to the right consistency. Now experimenting with adding whole spiced to the batch as it cooks. Makes about 1 1/2 pints (3 cups) jam
Hi and glad you liked the recipe. It really is best to be made in small batches in a large pan at high heat. I prefer not to double up. Thanks for the cup measurements.
Amazing flavor and so easy to make! Vicki from Northern California.
I’m so glad you loved this Vicki
Yum!! Just made this and used a little lemon juice and a tsp of grand marnier! Delicious.
Made this recipe today and it came out great! Appreciate the note to continuously stir. So simple and easy from start to finish, this will be my new go-to apricot jam recipe!
Hi Evelyn – I am so glad yoy love the recipe as much as I do.
So glad you loved it Jill. Grand marnier would be so good in it.
do you peel the apricots when you take the pits out?
Hi Natale – no I dont peel the apricots at all.
I am very new to canning and this recipe is amazing. It is most definitely beginner approved. It turned out amazing, and I will be making it again next year. Being a beginner – I do wonder if lowering the amount of sugar is possible with the canning process? I look forward to using this recipe next year when apricots are in season. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Gina – thnaks for the comment and feedback. This recipe already uses a lot lesss sugar than most jam recipe and its why I love it so much. Its more about the fruit than the sugar. You could lower it in even more but then I do worry about whether it will form a jam consistency. You could also try play aorund with sugar alternaives such as erythrytol and stevia (blend) or xylitol but this could affect the taste.
Can I use canned apricots?
Hi Venus, NO. Tinned apriocots are already cooked so they will not work to make jam
Can this recipe be used with Peaches ?
Hi, yes, it can, just use a similar quantity and cut up the peaches.
Can you do figs in the same way?
Hi Gertien, I am not too sure, as figs can be pretty dry. If they are very ripe, it could work. You may need to add a little liquid to get things going. Let me know if you try this.
I am trying to beat the birds, dace the fruit had to be fully ripe. They are going yellow but not golden, what ripeness is ok for jam. Thank you
Rayleen
Hi Rayleen, they should be soft and sweet, can even lean slightly to the over ripe side vs under ripe.
Hi Sam, thank you for the recipe. I have just made some so have not tasted it yet but it looks good and the finger taste was great. I added some lemoncello instead of the lemon juice.
Bev, Australia
Hi Bev – the Limoncello sounds amazing. I hope you enjoyed hte jam.
Can I use frozen apricots?
Hi Elvia, we dont get frozen apricots in south africa and I have not tested it but I cant see why they wouldnt work. Either thaw first or allow extra time if you are cooking them from frozen.