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Apricot Jam

Apricot vanilla bean jam with amber fruit and black-flecked vanilla seeds for a warm, floral depth. Cook in a heavy pot until thick, then jar or refrigerate for a bright, spreadable finish.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 50
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cup fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
  • 3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 0.25 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Rest the fruit mixture
  1. Combine apricots, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a heavy pot, then stir to coat the fruit evenly. Rest 30 min at room temperature so the apricots release juice.
Boil with vanilla
  1. Add the vanilla bean and scraped seeds, then bring the mixture to a rolling boil while stirring. Keep at a rolling boil for 1-3 min to dissolve sugar and activate thickening.
Simmer to set
  1. Reduce the heat and simmer 20-30 min, stirring often, until the jam looks glossy and thick enough to mound slightly on a spoon. Continue simmering within this range until it coats the back of a spoon.
Check the set
  1. Remove the vanilla pod, then test a small spoonful on a cold plate to see if it wrinkles when pushed. If it runs like syrup, simmer 3-5 min more and test again.
Jar and store
  1. Ladle the hot jam into sterilized jars and leave appropriate headspace for your canning method. Process 10 min in a water-bath canner or refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

Notes

For the best black-fleck effect, scrape the vanilla bean seeds thoroughly into the pot. Refrigerate jam for up to 3 weeks; for longer storage, process jars (freeze not recommended for this recipe). If you want a lower-sugar option, replace part of the sugar with a 1:1 jam sweetener designed for preserves so the set remains reliable.