• مربى المشمش •
A simple, 3-ingredient recipe for homemade Apricot Jam. Spoon onto vegan yogurt, use as a filling for cakes or other desserts, or serve as is on the breakfast table!
Apricots are one of my favorite fruits. They belong to a select group of fruits that, if given an endless supply, I can’t stop eating until I get a stomach ache. When they are good, apricots are naturally sweet, with a juicy, not mealy, texture. The apricots available here in the US are ok but they don’t compare to the ones found in Jordan and other places in the Middle East. The variety grown there seems to be much more aromatic than the ones available here commercially. Either variety, however, will make an good apricot jam.
My late grandmother in Jordan used to make every possible variety of jam and preserve. I’ve already shared her recipe for crunchy pumpkin preserves, a wonderful Fall-flavored treat. She also made strawberry, cherry, and even baby eggplant jam. Her fabled date preserves, using fresh, undried dates stuffed with almond and simmered in a spiced syrup were legendary not only in their delicious taste, but also in how she meticulously peeled each date with a small knife before stuffing. There is no doubt that I’ve inherited my patience for cooking and kitchen prep from her!
But it was apricot jam that she always had tucked away in a cabinet, ready to be served on the breakfast table along with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, olive oil, and zaatar. It’s simplicity and pure taste is a real treat, especially if you are an apricot fanatic like me. The only change I’ve made was to reduce the sugar. It’s admittedly still a considerable amount but not as much as most traditional recipes which include equal parts sugar to fruit so the jam can be shelf-stable. Because of its reduced sugar, you should store this jam in the refrigerator after opening. The trade-off is that the sugar content is greatly reduced and the fruit’s flavor shines through more.
- 1kg or a little over 2lbs of apricots, quartered
- 400g sugar (around 1¾ cups sugar)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- In a large bowl, combine the quartered apricots with the sugar and mix with a spoon or spatula. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, the apricots will have exuded some of their juices and dissolved most of the sugar. Put this mixture into a non-reactive pot and bring up to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it starts to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and stir occasionally so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. As it is simmering, you may notice a foam accumulating on the surface. Use a large spoon to skim the surface every so often to remove as much of this foam as possible.
- After simmering on low for 22-25 minutes and removing any foam that accumulates, you will notice now that the apricots are cooked down but some still have retained their shape. That's exactly what you want. Stir in the lemon juice and turn off the heat.
- Spoon the hot jam carefully into sterilized jars (mason jars or even old jam jars) and close the lids. Leave them on the counter until they come to room temperature. They will be fine for a few months if you don't open them but once opened you should store in the refrigerator.
-If you can't find apricots, you can make this recipe with peaches! I prefer to peel peaches for peach jam. Use 2 teaspoons of lemon juice instead of 1 Tablespoon.
