Apricot jam is summer preserved in a jar. (That must be a paraphrase of some famous food or seasonal quote, but I can’t recall the original.) Although the season for Blenheim apricots isn’t quite as brief as it is for cherries, it is short because the fruit are renowned for ripening over a short period. Of course, using jam is not the same as relishing the fruit right off the tree, but it still has many uses: a glaze for desserts or savory dishes, a topping for ice cream and puddings, and of course as a spread for breads and crackers.
The precise amount of lemon juice and sugar will vary depending on the natural tartness and sweetness of your apricots. Blenheims are on the sweeter side, compared with other varieties. We found the 1-to-1 apricot to sugar ratio cited in some recipes was too high, resulting in a cloying flavor. In general, a 75% ratio (3 parts sugar to 4 parts apricots) better suits Blenheims, at least when they’re ripe (or just barely under-ripe). The water is to avoid sticking when you start heating the fruit; you don’t need much additional water, since the mixture becomes runnier as it gets hot.
Chopped apricots just before applying heat. Photo by Simon.
For optimal texture, add the sugar after the fruit has softened and become pulpy. Otherwise, the fruit will remain mostly lumpy after adding sugar. If your prefer a chunkier jam, then go ahead and add the sugar sooner. Over the years we found that pre-sugar simmering of 30 minutes was too little time for pulping. Then again, trying to endure for 1 hour 20 minutes was certainly overkill. The long time didn’t harm the texture, thankfully, but we could’ve cut the time to around 45 to 60 minutes. Another option, which assists impatient-cooks-who-don’t-like-lumpy-jams, is to gently mash the fruit a bit with a potato masher, before adding the sugar.
After adding the sugar, we simmer the jam until it reaches 215F degrees or so, since we like our jam on the runny side (as I’ve said, we’re impatient ;). This took another 45 minutes. However, if you prefer thicker jam and have more patience, simmer it to 220F which is the jellying temperature.
You know how vacuum-sealed jars make a nice, satisfying pop when you open them? Cute tink and tonk noises occur during the “reverse process” of creating the vacuum, as the hot jam cools in the jars.
Last year (2007) our recipe yielded 16 8-ounce jars and 2 12-ounce jars —about 9 1/2 pints of jam. This year (2008) 6 1/2 pounds of apricots with 4 1/2 pounds of organic cane sugar yielded 12 12-ounce jars; while cooking this batch, it seemed a bit too bland sweet —I don’t think the fruits’ flavors are as well developed as previous years. :-\
Ingredients
- 6 pounds fresh Blenheim apricots, pitted and chopped (weight is post-pitting)
- juice of 1 to 2 lemons; we used Meyer lemons
- 1 to 2 cups filtered water, to prevent sticking
- 4 1/2 pounds sugar; add more or less, depending on the apricots’ sweetness
Method
- Place the chopped apricots, lemon juice and 1 cup of water in a large, heavy-bottomed, non-reactive (acid resistant) stock pot.
- Turn the heat on medium high heat until the apricots simmer energetically. Stir periodically to prevent sticking. Lower heat to low or medium low, and simmer until the fruit becomes pulpy, or to your desired level of chunkiness. Add more water if the jam seems too dry or stiff. If you wish, squish the apricots with a potato masher.
- Stir in the sugar. Raise the heat to high or medium high, to a vigorous simmer. Simmer to anywhere between 212F and 220F degrees, depending on your thickness preference.
- Make sure you have clean jars and caps handy. Ladle the hot jam into the jars, quickly cap them off, then process appropriately. The latest edition (75th anniversary) of The Joy of Cooking suggests 10 minutes around sea level.
- Store in a cool location like a larder or closet. Don’t worry if the top half inch or so of jam darkens a little over time (due to trapped oxygen) —it won’t affect the flavor or texture! Refrigerate after opening.
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