Small Batch Apricot Jam
This Small Batch Apricot Jam is an easy homemade jam with no pectin, special equipment or canning required! You only need 4 ingredients and it cooks up in about 20 minutes!
Normally I don’t eat a lot of jam, but when it’s homemade I can’t seem to stay out of the jar. I love to sneak spoonfuls of my fig jam, strawberry jam and apricot jams because homemade simply tastes better.
I say that a lot because it’s true. The apricots are the star of this recipe, and their flavor really shines.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This jam is thick and sweet with big chunks of apricot and freshness you can taste. It’s lower in sugar, so the apricot flavor really shines.
- You only need FOUR ingredients to make it.
- It cooks up in about 20 minutes.
- This is a small batch jam, which means there is no pectin, special equipment or canning requirements. Simply store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 weeks.
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient swaps
Try the following variations to change things up:
- This recipe may be made with 2 pounds of your favorite fresh or even frozen fruit. Peaches, plums, cherries and any type of berries are wonderful options.
- All or part of the granulated sugar may be substituted with unrefined sugars such as coconut sugar, honey or maple syrup.
- Lemon zest and juice may be substituted for the orange. Lemon is also higher in pectin, which promotes thickening.
How to make Apricot Jam
This is an easy recipe with about 10 minutes of prep.
- Place the apricots, sugar, orange zest and juice in a large sauce pan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring well to combine. Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the jam reaches the desired level of thickness.
- Remove from heat and add the vanilla bean paste or vanilla.
- Stir well and cool completely at room temperature. The jam will thicken as it cools.
Ways to serve this recipe
- Slather it on toast, english muffins, scones or peanut butter sandwiches.
- Stir it into oatmeal.
- Use as a topping for pancakes, waffles, yogurt or ice cream.
- Add to homemade barbecue sauce for sweetness.
- Apricot jam is the perfect ingredient for a cheeseboard!
FAQs
How do you know when jam is done cooking?
It’s done when it has reached your desired level of thickness, which normally takes place after 20-30 minutes.
Pro tip: If you’re unsure, run a spoon down the center of pan and if liquid doesn’t fill the middle of the pan, it’s done!
How do you thicken jam without pectin?
Cooking the jam over a low boil will thicken it. I’ve found that it takes only 20 minutes to reach my desired thickness (it thickens as it cools), but you can cook yours up to 10 minutes longer if you like yours thicker.
Apricots are not high in pectin, but using high pectin fruits will produce an even thicker jam as well. See this list of High and Low Pectin Fruits by The Spruce Eats for more info.
Can I freeze this apricot jam?
This jam may be frozen in an air tight container for up to 3 months.
How long does small batch jam last?
Up to 3 weeks, although it rarely lasts that long!
Recipe notes
- Lemon juice may be substituted for the orange juice. It’s also higher in pectin, which will promote thickening.
- After 20 minutes, your jam will have thickened well, and it will thicken as it cools. If you’d like your jam to be very thick, cook up to 10 minutes longer, stirring regularly to prevent burning. If you’re unsure, run a spoon down the center of pan and if liquid doesn’t fill the middle of the pan, it’s done!
- Store jam in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Because this is a small batch jam, there is no pectin required or canning equipment required.
Small Batch Apricot Jam
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. apricots unpeeled, pitted, and chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the apricots, sugar, orange zest and juice in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring well.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until the jam has thickened, about 20 minutes. If you’re unsure, run a spoon down the center of pan and if liquid doesn’t fill the middle of the pan, it’s done!
- Remove the jam from heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste or vanilla.
- Cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, transfer the jam to an airtight jar or container and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Notes
- After 20 minutes, your jam will have thickened well, and it will thicken as it cools. If you’d like your jam to be very thick, cook up to 10 minutes longer, stirring regularly to prevent burning.
- Lemon juice may be substituted for the orange juice. It’s also higher in pectin, which will promote thickening.
- Store jam in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
- This recipe may be made with 2 pounds of your favorite fresh or even frozen fruit. Peaches, plums, cherries and any type of berries are wonderful options.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
44 Comments on “Small Batch Apricot Jam”
This jam reminds me of my grandma and I LOVE it.
PS. I actually got to eat lunch at Dahlia Bakery when visiting Seattle – yummmy. Looks like you lucked out at Lola though – this sounds divine.
Apricots remind me of my grandma too, so they have a special place in my life! I did try the coconut cream pie and peanut butter sandwich cookie at Dahlia, so at least there was that! Haha
My English muffins loved this jam as much as I did! Haha. The vanilla bean makes it oh so special.
Still sad I didn’t get to see you in Seattle (boo!), but you can make it up to me by sending me this ultra-fabulous jam! You are ssssoooo right – vanilla bean makes everything better! I am so making this – Pinned!
I hate that I didn’t get to see you in Seattle — hate! BUT we need to make a “date” for a blogging convention next year for sure! And I would gladly send you some jam!
This jam looks amazing, Marcie! Love apricots- so summery!
Thank you, Jessica!
I don’t like when my jam is too sweet so I imagine that this would be perfect. What a lovely way to capture summer’s best!
Thank you, Monet!
This is really a perfect summer jam. The vanilla bean is such a great touch.
Thank you, Zainab!
I love this jar full of sunshine, Marcie! It looks gorgeous! Love that you don’t need canning experience too since I’m a little bit scared of messing up the process. Pinned 🙂 Adding the vanilla bean is such a terrific idea!
Canning can be a bit of a pain, and I wasn’t ready to undertake that much this time around. This was perfect for the short term, and hope you get to try it Kelly! Have a great day!
Oooh I love all of the components of this jam, Marcie! I used to be stuck on the more standard jam flavors (grape and strawberry), but had orange marmalade recently and loved it. I bet I would love this apricot jam, too – especially with the vanilla bean flecks!
I was always a grape and strawberry person growing up, but apricot and marmalades are my favorite now. I made a blood orange marmalade last year and it was so good!
Marcie this looks amazing – perfect for that english muffin. Great idea too not using a lot of sugar! Pinned!! Have a great rest of the week!!
Precisely — it was perfect on my English muffins! Thanks, Deb, and have a great day!
Oh I just love how simple this is, and no canning experience needed! I can’t wait to try this!
Making real jam is a bit more of a process, so this was perfect for me since I was feeling lazy. Haha. It was so fresh and yummy, nobody cared!
We love apricots in all forms, but I especially love them cooked. This jam sounds delicious and I love that beautiful color. I also like that you didn’t use a ton of sugar. If the fruit is in season they should be plenty sweet.
Apricot jam is the best, and a lot of that may be due to the pretty color. And I agree — As much as I love them fresh, they’re so much better cooked.
This is most definitely a jar full of sunshine! I love apricot jam and with vanilla beans??? Ugh so good! I need to make myself a secret jar of this to have on toast in the morning! 🙂 No sharing! haha
It’s so funny you say that because my husband hid a jar in the back of the fridge so the kids wouldn’t see it. They don’t look for anything, so missed out on jar #2! Haha
Next time try the beignets with mascarpone cheese, raspberry jam. I eat there every time I am in Seattle or plan a layover when traveling back from Canada.
I heard about the beignets of course, but there was no breakfast being served. 🙁 I will definitely try those next time!
This has a gorgeous color! I haaaate apricots… but love jams or preserves made of it 🙂
Fresh apricots do taste a lot different than the jam, don’t they? I’m glad you love the jams, and this tastes extra good with that vanilla bean. 🙂
This is definitely a jar full of sunshine, Marcie! This jam looks amazing! I never knew how easy it would be to make…I’m so impressed! And I don’t think I could go back to eating store-bought jam after your home-made version!
When you’re canning jam to preserve it, you definitely have to jump through more hoops and do things the “proper” way. There are no rules when it’s gobbled up within a few weeks! haha The bad part is, I want vanilla bean in my jam from now on — it’s made me a bit high maintenance! Thanks, Gayle, and have a great day. 🙂