Sunny…or Not?
It’s the peak of summer, but somehow in the UK, the sun hasn’t been around much. It’s definitely been a dreary summer season so far, and all we can hope for is a slightly better second half of July and August. Regardless, though, this time of year always brings forth an urge to bake desserts that are perfect for summer, with plenty of fresh flavors and bright colors. And to be honest, Texas, where Sofie lives, has enough sun and heat for the both of us! Anyway, we always try to develop recipes at this time of year that suit the warm weather and sunshine, so today’s – apricot jam – is all about freshness and in-season fruit!
Today’s Recipe
When it comes to jam, many people love the classics: raspberry, strawberry, maybe even cherry or plum. Grape jam is popular in the US, and we grew up eating lots of blackcurrant jam in Denmark too. But an underrated favorite of ours is apricot jam. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart, and despite apricot being a somewhat understated flavor, it really comes through in the jam. Plus, since summer is the season of stone fruits (see our stone fruit cake recipe if you’re looking for a delicious dessert option), we thought there was no better time than now to share our recipe! Keep reading and you’ll easily be able to whip this up at home.
Tart and Fresh Flavor
When you think of a tart fruit, apricots don’t necessarily spring to mind first. Ripe apricots are deliciously sweet, that’s true, but they also have a lovely tart aspect to their flavor too, almost like a cross between a plum and a peach. They work really well in savory dishes because of this, but I think they’re underutilized when it comes to desserts. You can pair them with sweeter flavors, like chocolate or vanilla, and this will bring out the tartness in them. Fresh apricots are great for some desserts, but then dried apricots are also super tasty and can be used as a mix-in for baked goods like cookies and bread. Either way, it’s a beautiful fruit that can add a lot to a dessert or baked good, so why not pick some up next time you’re at the store?
A Perfect Condiment!
Another reason to love this recipe so much is that jam is just the perfect condiment. Add it to a slice of bread with some butter, and you have a delicious snack or breakfast. Use it in a cake, and you’ve added a punch of flavor in between each layer. Use it in a pastry, and you’ve added the perfect tart and fresh balance to the sweet and rich pastry base. You can even just add a spoonful to a yogurt bowl or oatmeal, and you’ve immediately elevated the dish in flavor and texture. And the best part is that it’s honestly very easy and sometimes more cost-effective to make it at home!
Ingredients for Apricot Jam
The ingredients for this jam are apricots, sugar, vanilla paste or extract, and a pinch of salt. You can use frozen or fresh apricots, depending on what you have on hand. Obviously, frozen fruit is often cheaper, so if you can get your hands on it we would definitely recommend it, but frozen apricots aren’t typically that readily available in grocery stores. Also, feel free to mix up the flavor combinations. I bet a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg would be tasty for a spiced apricot jam! You can also use this as a basic jam recipe for other types of fruit, but do make sure to adjust the sugar up or down depending on the tartness of the fruit you’re using. Rhubarb, for example, needs more sugar in order to get the right sweet and sour balance.
How to Make Apricot Jam
Jam is very easy to make at home, but bear in mind that this is not a canning recipe. It does not make shelf-stable jam, so we don’t recommend making a huge batch, as this lasts for about a week in the fridge. All you have to do is simmer the ingredients over a low heat on the stove until the mixture reaches the desired texture. You can see this in the recipe below, but you want the jam to be thick enough that running a spatula along the bottom of the pot makes the bottom visible for a split second. Once you’ve reached this point, let it cool for a bit before adding to a jar and storing in the fridge. We would suggest using this in cakes or pastries, but you can also just eat it on a slice of bread and it’s just as yummy. Enjoy!
Apricot Jam
Ingredients
- 520 grams apricots, pitted and cut into smaller pieces
- 260 grams granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (you can also use vanilla extract)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Wash the apricots, cut in half to remove the pits, and chop into smaller pieces.
- Add apricots to a small pot. If you would like, you can weigh the amount that you have and then adjust the amount of sugar accordingly!
- Add sugar to the pot with the apricots. We like to use a ratio of half the weight of sugar as compared to the apricots. You can always adjust this later if you don't think it is sweet enough! Add in the vanilla paste/extract and the salt as well.
- Heat over medium to low heat on the stove.
- Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the apricots start to release their liquid.
- Once the mixture starts to bubble, let it simmer (you may have to lower the heat) for anywhere between 20-40 minutes, until the mixture has thickened up.
- The time is variable because the apricots can release a lot of liquid! You want it to be thick enough to run your spatula along the bottom of the pot so you can see the bottom for a split second before the mixture runs back together. It should also coat the spatula before running off back into the pot when you lift it out.
- We let this cool in the pot for around 20-30 minutes. Transfer the jam to a jar or container and let cool completely, then transfer to the fridge.
- Store this in the fridge (this is not a canning recipe! It is not for shelf stable jam.) Consume within a week.
Hi from a Norsky. I can’t bake or cook with metrics. Can you use both in your recipes?
Thank you.
Hi! We do show US customary units as well, just click “US Customary” on the right next to the list of ingredients.