Honey-Cinnamon Apricot Jam

We had our first harvest of apricots from our very own trees this year (the blossoms often get hit by late frost).  Since we had more of these little gems than we could eat fresh, I decided to whip up some apricot jam. I sweetened it with local honey that I buy in bulk, but you could also use granulated cane sugar.*  I used Pomona’s Pectin as a gelling agent, but you could substitute another low sugar pectin and adjust the recipe accordingly.  I wasn’t sure about the flavors when the jam was cooking on the stove (I thought I added too much cinnamon), but the next day it was amazing!  I could eat it by the spoonful straight out of the jar.

Honey-Cinnamon Apricot Jam made with Pomona’s Pectin

Ingredients: 

4 c. of chopped/mashed apricots – I pureed about half the apricots smooth and left the rest chunky
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon – organic is great if you have it
4 teaspoons calcium water (included with Pomona’s Pectin)
1 cup honey or 2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin powder

Directions:

Sterilize six 8-ounce jars, keep hot.  Heat lids and rings in hot water, keep warm but not boiling.  Fill water bath canner and bring to boil.

In a small bowl, mix together honey and pectin powder.  Don’t skip this step, or your pectin will clump.  Set aside.

In a large, non-reactive pot (I use a heavy bottom stainless steel pot), combine apricots, lemon juice, cinnamon and the calcium water. Bring to a full boil.

Add honey-pectin mixture, stir vigorously 1-2 minutes while cooking to dissolve pectin.  Return to boil and remove from heat.

Ladle jam into sterilized jars leaving 1/4″ headspace. Wipe rims clean and screw on the lids. Process for 10 minutes in water bath canner (add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level).  Jam will last about three weeks once opened.  Makes around 5-6 cups.

If you don’t have apricots available, you could also use peaches or plums.  All go well with cinnamon and a bit of lemon.  If you need more jam and jelly recipes, check out the Recipes page.

If you need a good bread recipe to pair up with your apricot jam, check out “13 Homemade Bread Recipes – Never Buy Bread Again“.  The top photo in this post shows Betty’s Buttermilk Rye Bread.

I really like making jams and jellies with Pomona’s Pectin, as most conventional jam and jelly recipes call for as much or more sugar than fruit.  While my youngest generally prefers the standard jams and jellies, I think you get a much better fruit flavor from the low-sugar options.  They taste like fruit instead of sugar.  Pomona’s Pectin also came out with a new recipe book this year, which I have not tried yet, but it looks interesting.  It’s called, “Preserving with Pomona’s Pectin: The Revolutionary Low-Sugar, High-Flavor Method for Crafting and Canning Jams, Jellies, Conserves, and More“.

*Using granulated sugar will change the flavor. I do check and make sure the label says, “cane sugar”, as most granulated sugar in the U.S. is now made from genetically modified (RoundUp Ready) sugar beets. Buy in bulk and watch for sales. Sugar will keep indefinitely in an airtight container. It is a good food preservative because it ties up free water in the product, preventing bacteria from breeding. It also helps preserve color and texture, keeping fruit bright and firm. In a pinch, sugar and honey can also be used for the care of open wounds.

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