Apricot Freezer Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does homemade jam last without pectin? ›

It will last several weeks in the fridge, but can be frozen for up to three months. Obviously you can use the jam anywhere you like jam — on toast, in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or on fresh biscuits.

Freezer jam is supposed to have a thick, pudding-like consistency but if it doesn't set it will be runny and much thinner. If your jam doesn't properly set, it's usually because the ratio of fruit to sugar was off, your pectin was old, or because your sugar didn't fully dissolve.

Pit peeled fruit and slice into a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar mixture and toss gently to coat fruit with sugar. Allow fruit to stand for 10 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Pack fruit into freezer containers leaving ½-inch headspace.

Pectin. Most recipes call for additional pectin to thicken the jam, giving it that familiar jammy consistency. Commercially produced pectin is derived from fruit; usually apples or citrus. Store-bought pectin comes in two forms: powder and liquid.

You don't have to, but proceed carefully. "If you are really anti-pectin, you can omit it, but you'll need to cook the jam longer. Doing so will remove most of the water content in order to get it to set up properly and in turn, will result in a smaller yield," adds Wynne.

With a simple lemon juice trick, your homemade jam will achieve your desired thick texture. Preparing jam is about capturing the sweet essence of the fruit while simultaneously cooking it down to the perfect syrupy consistency.

Fixing runny jelly is easy to do. If your jam is too runny, you can reprocess it to fix runny jam. Learn how to fix runny jam without pectin or by recooking it with pectin and lemon juice.

Because it's not cooked, it can be difficult to completely dissolve the sugar, which gives the jam a sugary or grainy texture. With a bit of trial and error, I figured out that a short stint in the microwave will totally eliminate this problem.

*If for some reason your jam is runny and doesn't set up properly, you can pour it all back into a mixing bowl, boil another package of pectin, and add it to the jam.

To remake cooked jam or jelly using powdered pectin measure 15 mL (1 tbsp) water and 7 mL (11/2 tsp) powdered pectin for each 250 mL (1 cup) product into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in jam or jelly.

Why put kernels in apricot jam? ›

They are a little like a bitter almond and add flavour to the jam. When the fruit has begun to soften, stir in the sugar, apricot kernels and the lemon juice.

Preserves has a thick consistency, while jam has much more of a smooth texture. With preserves, you will find apricot chunks in the mixture vs just pureed fruit. Preserves typically contains less sugar than jam does, allowing the natural sweetness from the fruit to be the sweet star of the show.

If you aren't using pectin as a thickener, the sugar as well as the cornstarch slurry will work to thicken quite well. Feel free to add more for an even thicker jam.

Spoon a little of the hot conserve onto the cold saucer. Return to the freezer for 2 minutes or until chilled. Touch the conserve. If it wrinkles and feels gel-like, it's ready to bottle.

We are relying in part on the natural pectin in the fruit to set the jam, but we will benefit from a little pectin boost. Although we are not adding powdered pectin, we will add citric acid or lemon juice to the jam. This gives an additional pop of pectin but also some acidity that balances the sweetness of the jam.

I did a bunch of canning and jam recipes last summer from Ball's book of canning. With the sugar, citrus and pectin, they recommend 18 months but you should be able to judge by the look, smell and taste if you are worried about it. If it smells bad or the lid pops, its a good indication that its gone bad.

Here's how long homemade jam lasts: For homemade jam, using sugar and processed by canning in a hot water bath, you can expect to get about two years of shelf life when stored in a cool, dry place. Once opened, keep your homemade jam in the refrigerator for up to three months.

When making jams, jellies and preserves from fruits that contain natural pectin, it's not necessary to add additional pectin. These products are cooked to the desired consistency.

Put the jam into containers and freeze: Pour the jam into clean freezer containers or canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. (Plastic freezer containers with tight-fitting lids work well for storing freezer jams and jellies.) Cover the containers and let stand for 24 hours, or until the jam has set and become firm.