Apricot jam is aromatic and tasty; it can be spread on fresh bread or used for baking. Many adults and children love to eat this sweetness with tea. There are many recipes for apricot jam, they differ in ingredients and time required for preparation. Many housewives carefully preserve their signature recipe, which is passed down from generation to generation.
- General cooking principles
- Preparation of the main ingredient
- Methods for making apricot jam at home
- A simple recipe for the winter
- In a slow cooker
- In the oven
- Via blender
- Through a meat grinder
- Amber-transparent jam
- With oranges
- With carrots
- Seedless
- Chocolate jam
- How to cook apricot jam for pies
- How to store apricot jam
General cooking principles
To prepare a delicious apricot delicacy, you need to follow these recommendations:
- The dessert is prepared from well-ripe fruits. Unripe apricots do not provide rich taste and aroma.
- During cooking, the product should be constantly stirred, as it burns quickly.
- Half-liter jars are prepared for packaging the finished product. They are pre-washed with soda and dried in the oven.
- For cooking, use a deep aluminum bowl or pan. You can take a stainless steel pan.
In addition, you need to prepare lids, a seaming machine, a large wooden spoon and a plate for skimming.
To accurately measure ingredients, you need to use a kitchen scale. If you take products by eye, the taste of the finished product may not be as desired.
Preparation of the main ingredient
Apricots are sorted, washed with running water and laid out to dry on a towel. After this, divide the fruits in half and remove the seeds. You need to be careful not to get any rotten fruit, otherwise the whole jam will be spoiled.
Methods for making apricot jam at home
You can prepare apricot jam according to different recipes. You can cook the sweetness on the stove, in the oven or in a slow cooker.
A simple recipe for the winter
The simplest recipe is considered to be one in which jam is made only from fruit and sugar.
- Pour pitted apricots into a bowl and add sugar in a ratio of 1:1.
- Leave the fruits in sugar for 3-4 hours so that they release juice.
- Place the bowl over low heat and cook, stirring constantly. It is important to regularly remove the foam, then the finished product will be transparent.
Bring the jam to a boil, boil for 15 minutes and remove from heat. They boil again after 3-4 hours, after which they are rolled into previously prepared jars.
The jar is first placed in a dry plate, and only then hot jam is poured into it!
In a slow cooker
It is not difficult to prepare apricot jam in a slow cooker; you should follow this recipe.
- Peeled fruits are twisted in a meat grinder or crushed in a blender.
- Pour apricot puree into the multicooker bowl and add sugar in a 1:1 ratio. If the apricot is sweet, then the amount of sugar can be reduced slightly.
- Set the “Jam” mode and cook until done.
The finished apricot delicacy is poured into dry jars and screwed on with lids. After this, the jars are well wrapped in a blanket and left for a day.
In the oven
In the oven you can prepare unusually tasty and thick jam. What is noteworthy is that with this method of preparation, sugar is needed an order of magnitude less than with the traditional method. To prepare aromatic apricot jam you need to prepare:
- pitted apricots - 3 kg;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- ½ cup wine vinegar.
The fruits are washed, pitted and poured into a heat-resistant pan or deep baking dish. Cover with sugar and leave for 10-12 hours at room temperature.
After this, wine vinegar is poured into the apricots and mixed thoroughly. There will be no vinegar taste in the finished product.
Place the container with the apricot mass in the oven and simmer over low heat for 2 hours. After this time, the pan is pulled out and the sweet mass is poured into sterile jars.
The sweet mass should be constantly stirred, as it quickly burns and becomes covered with a caramel crust.
Via blender
Grind the pre-prepared apricots in a blender. Pour the resulting puree into a bowl and pour sugar into it at a ratio of 1:1. Place the container on low heat and cook for 40 minutes. Don't forget to stir constantly.
Some housewives put gelatin in this jam, at the rate of 40 grams of dry powder per 1 kg of sugar. But it is not necessary to add it, since the sweetness freezes well.
Through a meat grinder
You need to prepare apricot jam through a meat grinder step by step. The recipe is:
- The prepared fruits are twisted in a meat grinder.
- The resulting puree is weighed and sugar is added 1:1.
- The puree is mixed well and put on low heat, where it is boiled until tender.
If you need a very thick product, first add a full tablespoon of gelatin to the sugar. After hardening, this product resembles marmalade.
Amber-transparent jam
Cooking this delicacy is a little more difficult than other recipes. For cooking you need the following products:
- apricots - you need to take ripe and dense fruits;
- sugar;
- citric acid or lemon juice.
Place the apricots in a bowl in layers, sprinkling each layer with sugar. The product is left in this state for 12 hours. During this time, the fruits will release juice.
Place the bowl over low heat and bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes and turn off. The next time they cook it after 12 hours and again for only 5 minutes. After the third cooking, the sweet mass is poured into jars and wrapped in a blanket.
With oranges
This jam has an amazing taste and aroma that is difficult to describe in words. For cooking you will need the following products:
- 2 kg of peeled apricots;
- 1 kg of oranges;
- 3 kg granulated sugar;
- glass of water;
- 1/3 teaspoon of citric acid.
To cook a delicious dessert, you need to follow the following recipe. Oranges are washed, peeled and divided into slices. The pits are removed from the apricots. The products are combined, covered with sugar and water is added. Boil over low heat until the fruit is ready, then grind it to a puree consistency and add citric acid. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly, and put into jars.
With carrots
If you need a tasty and thick filling for pies, you can boil apricots and carrots. You will need:
- seedless fruits - 1 kg;
- peeled carrots - 0.5 kg;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- water - an incomplete glass;
- citric acid - 1 teaspoon.
Cut the carrots into slices, add water and simmer under the lid until soft. Add apricots, sugar and lemon to the carrots, then cook until tender over low heat.
Cool the sweet mass slightly and grind it into a puree using a blender. Then boil for 10 minutes and roll into jars.
Seedless
Apricot jam is almost always cooked without seeds, so you can use one of the above recipes. Fruits and sugar are taken in a 1:1 ratio; if desired, you can add a tablespoon of gelatin per 1 kg of apricots.
Chocolate jam
For those with a spoiled sweet tooth, you can offer apricots boiled with cocoa. This delicacy has an exquisite taste and aroma. To prepare you need to prepare:
- apricots - 1.2 kg;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- water - 1 glass;
- cocoa - 3 spoons.
Pour the apricots into a bowl, add water, 1 kg of sugar and simmer over low heat. Grind the sweet mass to a puree.
Separately mix a glass of sugar with cocoa and add to the apricot puree. Cook for 10 minutes, then pour into jars and cover with a blanket.
How to cook apricot jam for pies
For pies and pies you need thick jam in pieces. To prepare it, take 3 kg of apricots, add 4 kg of sugar and leave overnight. In the morning, boil the apricots over low heat for 10 minutes, then leave until evening. In total, you need to cook the jam 3 times, after which it is laid out in jars.
How to store apricot jam
Properly cooked apricot jam is well stored in the cellar. If there is no cellar, it can be stored in a pantry or kitchen, away from heating appliances and stoves.
The product shelf life is 2 years. After this time, the jam may change slightly in color and taste.