Low Sugar Apricot Jam Recipe
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In this recipe for low-sugar apricot jam, I use half the sugar we usually use to make traditional jam. There is also no store-bought pectin in this Apricot jam. This is a delicious and not too sweet summer jam!
Apricot is one of those special fruits just like figs. They are delicious, but not so so common that we can get them any time. And even when we can find them in the stores, it’s for a really short period of time.
Since we love them so much, I try to take advantage of their short season and get as many as I can. Some I freeze so I can use in baked goods and some I turn into a jam that can be stored on the shelf at room temperature for the year ahead (it usually doesn’t last that long simply because we love it so much!).
Low-Sugar Apricot Jam Recipe…
Just like fig jam, this apricot jam is close to my heart and one of my favorites! Maybe it’s because I love the fruit so much and can’t get my hands on it too often or maybe it simply because it’s so tasty. Whatever it is, this jam is very simple to make and really delicious! You’re going to love it.
Ingredients…
- Apricot – I started with 3.4 pounds of apricot. After cleaning the fruit, I was left with 3 pounds of diced apricot. This amount produced 8 half-pint jars of jam.
- Water – apricots don’t have a lot of juice in them so we’ll add a cup of water to help start this jam and make sure the sugar doesn’t burn.
- Sugar – just good old white sugar. In traditional jams, the ratio is one part fruit to one part sugar. For me, it’s just too sweet so I cut the sugar in half and use one part fruit to one-half part sugar. I used about 1.5 pounds of sugar in this jam.
- Lemon juice and seeds – lemon juice and seeds have a lot of natural pectin in them so instead of using store-bought pectin I add lemon juice and a few seeds to my jams. No matter what fruit I use, it always works well. I used the juice of a small lemon and about 5 seeds in this jam.
Kitchen Tools…
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Deep pan
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Immersion blender – or you can use a potato masher if you like large chunks of fruit in your jam.
- Half-pint jars with lids – this is my favorite size jars to use when canning jam but you can also use a pint.
- Canning utensils
- Ladle
- Paper towel
- Water bath canner
How to Make Apricot Jam Step By Step…
Step one – prep the ingredients. You don’t have to peel the apricot, I usually don’t. Cut the fruit in half and remove the pit, then dice the apricot. Add the apricot, water, and sugar to a deep pan.
Step two – cook the jam. Turn the heat to medium-high and start cooking the jam. Use the spatula to stir frequently. It will take a few minutes until the sugar melts and the juices are released from the fruit. Keep stirring and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for seven minutes before lowering the heat to medium-low for the rest of the cooking.
Keep cooking, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. At this point, the fruit should be soft and you can blend it with an immersion blender or mash it with a potato masher.
Step three – add lemon juice and seeds. Squeeze the juice of a small lemon right into the pan and throw in about 5 seeds. Stir them in.
Step four – check for thickness. After adding the lemon seeds keep cooking for an additional 20-30 minutes. Watch your jam as you stir it to measure its thickness. If you’re not sure if it’s ready you can do the spoon test. Scoop some jam on a spoon and set it on the kitchen counter to cool for five minutes or so. Then add it back into the pot and as it leaves the spoon you will be able to measure its thickness. Just remember that the jam will keep on thickening in the jars as it cools completely.
Canning Low-Sugar Apricot Jam…
Step five – prep the jam for processing. Fill the water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars by about an inch. Set it on the stovetop, turn the heat to high and bring the water to a boil. Wash your jars, lids, and bands well with hot water and soap (since we will be processing the jars for 15 minutes, there is no need to sterilize them first).
Use a ladle and the canning funnel to fill the jars, make sure to leave 1/2 inch of headspace. Use the bubble remover to scrape the inside of the jar and remove air bubbles. Then use a damp paper towel to clean the rim of the jar before centering the lid and closing the jar with the band.
Step six – process the jars. Place the jars on the rack of the water bath canner and lower the jars into the boiling water. Cover the canner and process the jars for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat, uncover the canner and let the jars rest in the hot water for five minutes or so. Then, use the jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner and place them on a kitchen towel to cool completely overnight.
Always remember to adjust the processing time if you live over 1000 feet in elevation. Follow the table above to make any adjustments.
How to Store This Jam…
When the jars are completely cool, check that they are all sealed by pressing the center of each lid. If there is no movement there it means that your jars are sealed and ready for storage. If you find that one of the jars didn’t seal, just store it in the fridge and use it first (or you can also try to process it again. Usually I recommend changing the lid if you are going to do that).
Wipe the jars and remove the band. It sometimes rusts in storage and makes it hard to open the jar down the road. And, you can also reuse it for canning something else. Store your apricot jam in a cool place like a pantry or a kitchen cabinet. It should last for 18 months or so.
How to Serve Homemade Apricot Jam…
- As a snack – we love spreading cream cheese on crackers (or a bagel) and adding some jam on top. It’s an awesome mid day snack for the whole family.
- On toast – I always drink coffee in the morning and toast with some jam on it is the perfect companion.
- In cookies – I make these thumbprint cookies and add jam in the center. They melt in your mouth and are absolutely addictive!
- On yogurt – homemade yogurt (made with either raw milk or store-bought) with homemade granola and a tablespoon or so of jam is my go-to meal when I have no energy to cook a “real” one.
- Add it to baked goods – if it’s a baked puff pastry, a turnover, jam filled bars, or any other baked good, this jam will work great!
Frequently Asked Questions…
I don’t. I leave the seeds in the jam. They don’t break down, don’t change the taste of the jam no matter how long it stays on the shelf and once you stop cooking the jam they don’t keep thickening it. You can, however, fish them out when the jam is ready if you’d like, they are usually easy to find.
Honestly… Any fruit! If you find yourself with plums, grapes, kiwi, oranges… Follow this recipe and it should work every time. Just take into consideration that cooking times will probably change depending on how juicy your fruit is.
Yes, and it’s very easy. Just follow a ratio of one part fruit to one-half part sugar. So if you have 2 pounds of fruit, use one pound of sugar. The only thing that is going to change is the cooking time. And if you make a smaller batch, you can simply keep it in the fridge, it should last for weeks.
Yes. If you feel like adding some more flavor, you can season this jam with cinnamon, or vanilla extract. Add a cinnamon stick at the beginning and cook it with the jam, then remove it before canning. Or you can use ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Add about a teaspoon 10 minutes before the jam is ready. If you are using vanilla extract, add it when the jam is ready. Remove it from the heat and stir in a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Another option is to make this jam with jalapenos like I do in this peach Jalapeno jam or mango jalapeno jam. Jalapenos add a little spicy kick to a jam and they are a delicious addition.
I hope that you see how simple it is to preserve apricots by turning them into this easy low-sugar apricot jam! This is a favorite jam around here and we eagerly wait for apricots to arrive in the grocery store each summer. I try to make enough of it to last until the next summer! I hope that you’ll give this jam a try.
More Jam Recipes…
- Mixed Berry Jam Recipe
- How to Make Mulberry Jam
- Law-Sugar Strawberry Jam
- Chia Blueberry Jam Recipe
- Find a list of all of my jam recipes on this page.
Low Sugar Apricot Jam Recipe
In this recipe for low-sugar apricot jam, I use half of the sugar we usually use to make traditional jam. There is also no store-bought pectin in this Apricot jam. This is a delicious and not too sweet summer jam!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of dices apricot
- 1 cup of water
- 1.5 pounds of sugar
- Juice from one small lemon
- 5 lemon seeds
Instructions
- You don’t have to peel the apricot, I usually don’t. Cut the fruit in half and remove the pit, then dice the apricot. Add the apricot, water, and sugar to a deep pan.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and start cooking the jam. Use the spatula to stir frequently. It will take a few minutes until the sugar melts and the juices are released from the fruit. Keep stirring and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for seven minutes before lowering the heat to medium-low for the rest of the cooking. Keep cooking, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. At this point, the fruit should be soft and you can blend it with an immersion blender or mash it with a potato masher.
- Squeeze the juice of a small lemon right into the pan and throw in about 5 seeds. Stir them in.
- After adding the lemon seeds keep cooking for an additional 20-30 minutes. Watch your jam as you stir it to measure its thickness. If you’re not sure if it’s ready you can do the spoon test. Scoop some jam onto a spoon and set it on the kitchen counter to cool for five minutes or so. Then add it back into the pot and as it leaves the spoon you will be able to measure its thickness. Just remember that the jam will keep on thickening in the jars as it cools completely.
- Fill the water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars by about an inch. Set it on the stovetop, turn the heat to high and bring the water to a boil. Wash your jars, lids, and bands well with hot water and soap (since we will be processing the jars for 15 minutes, there is no need to sterilize them first).
Use a ladle and the canning funnel to fill the jars, make sure to leave 1/2 inch of headspace. Use the bubble remover to scrape the inside of the jar and remove air bubbles. Then use a damp paper towel to clean the rim of the jar before centering the lid and closing the jar with the band. - Place the jars on the rack of the water bath canner and lower the jars into the boiling water. Cover the canner and process the jars for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat, uncover the canner and let the jars rest in the hot water for five minutes or so. Then, use the jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner and place them on a kitchen towel to cool completely overnight.
Always remember to adjust the processing time if you live over 1000 feet in elevation. Follow the table in the notes below to make any adjustments. - When the jars are completely cool, check that they are all sealed by pressing the center of each lid. If there is no movement there it means that your jars are sealed and ready for storage. If you find that one of the jars didn’t seal, just store it in the fridge and use it first (or you can also try to process it again. Usually I recommend changing the lid if you are going to do that).
Wipe the jars and remove the band. It sometimes rusts in storage and makes it hard to open the jar down the road. And, you can also reuse it for canning something else. Store your apricot jam in a cool place like a pantry or a kitchen cabinet. It should last for 18 months or so.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions…
- Do you remove the lemon seeds before canning the jam?
I don’t. I leave the seeds in the jam. They don’t break down, don’t change the taste of the jam no matter how long it stays on the shelf and once you stop cooking the jam they don’t keep thickening it. You can, however, fish them out when the jam is ready if you’d like, they are usually easy to find. - Can I follow this recipe with other fruit?
Honestly… Any fruit! If you find yourself with plums, grapes, kiwi, oranges… Follow this recipe and it should work every time. Just take into consideration that cooking times will probably change depending on how juicy your fruit is. - Can I adjust the quantities of the ingredients?
Yes, and it’s very easy. Just follow a ratio of one part fruit to one-half part sugar. So if you have 2 pounds of fruit, use one pound of sugar. The only thing that is going to change is the cooking time. And if you make a smaller batch, you can simply keep it in the fridge, it should last for weeks. - Can I add spices to an apricot jam?
Yes. If you feel like adding some more flavor, you can season this jam with cinnamon, or vanilla extract. Add a cinnamon stick at the beginning and cook it with the jam, then remove it before canning. Or you can use ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Add about a teaspoon 10 minutes before the jam is ready. If you are using vanilla extract, add it when the jam is ready. Remove it from the heat and stir in a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Another option is to make this jam with jalapenos like I do in this peach Jalapeno jam or mango jalapeno jam. Jalapenos add a little spicy kick to a jam and they are a delicious addition.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 half-pint jarAmount Per Serving: Calories: 427Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 109gFiber: 5gSugar: 102gProtein: 3g
Hi! I’m Lady Lee. I help homesteaders simplify their homesteading journey while still producing a ton of food! I am a single mother of four, I was born in Israel and raised in an agricultural commune called a Kibbutz. Now I homestead in central NC.
This is absolutely NOT low sugar! Insane amount of sugar is more like it.
In traditional jam a one to one ratio is usually used. One part fruit to one part sugar. I cut the sugar in half.
If you are not going to can your jam, and do not need it to last for months at room temperature… In other words, if you are going to keep it in the fridge, you can go ahead and use as little sugar as you’d like. If you are going to can it for long-term storage, the sugar is important for preserving purposes.
I hope this clarifies it a bit.
Instead of doing a water bath can I cool in jars and put them in the freezer?
Absolutely. You can store the jam in the fridge or the freezer, you don’t have to can it.
It would be so helpful to have this in cup quantities instead of weight.