Boy, do I know how to pick ‘em. Yes, I’m being sarcastic and yes, I chose another batch of less-than-stellar summer fruit that I neither wanted to eat plain nor throw out. I’d been quite impressed by the fresh apricots that I bought at Trader Joe’s about a month ago, so I expected this bunch to be just as sweet and juicy. Not quite. In fact, these stone fruit were borderline sour which leads me to believe they were picked prematurely, before they had the chance to properly ripen.
Rather than pout and complain, I remedied the rather unfortunate situation by transforming the lackluster apricots into a deliciously simple jam. No need for either pectin or a gluttonous amount of sugar, this jam turned out perfectly thick and sweet. Given apricots’ natural affinity for a variety of foods, I bet this jam would be great as a glaze for grilled chicken, layered with plump blueberries and granola in a yogurt parfait, or spread with goat cheese on a piece of toast.
Apricot Jam
Ingredients:
- 2 cups pitted & chopped fresh apricots (about 5 apricots), preferably organic
- 1-2 Tbsp evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar, depending on sweetness of the apricots
- 1 Tbsp water
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a small non-stick saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar.
- Maintain boil for 10-15 minutes, or until apricots begin to break down and form a thick jam, stirring often to keep jam from sticking to pan.
oh no! at least you were able to salvage them well :) this sounds very delicious. I usually just eat my apricots, I’ll have to be more creative next time!
This sounds great. I am fruit challenged as well. I seem to have the biggest problems at the farmers market. I love how fresh it is, but it doesn’t always last long once I get it home. :-(
Where did you get the apricots? I’m totally craving one right now. I’ll go elsewhere though – I like mine sweet :)
Elina,
I bought the disappointing apricots at TJ’s, which is surprising considering how good the same fruit from the same store was just a few weeks earlier! I also recently bought organic yellow nectarines from TJ’s that weren’t great. The good news is that their organic cherries are still excellent!
Apricot jam is one of my favorites!! …that and raspberry – mmmm.
YUM! I can’t wait to make this!
I’ve been thinking about making a variety of jams for friends, so I’ve been collecting recipes. This one looks fantastic, and I’m sure they would really enjoy it!
I’ve made more jam this summer than in the previous five summers combined! I like organic and low sugar, and there aren’t many of those on the market; so homemade is my only option. AND it’s quite fun!