Tangy Apricot Jam No Sugar Added

This apricot cooked jam recipe is almost my top favourite with a delightful taste all of its own. A super sweet treat with cream cheese or peanut butter. Great combinations … and a pretty easy jam for the super busy person to make. During the canning season small quantities of jam are made as gifts and for special occasions throughout the year …

Jam Ingredients:

1. 3 or 3.5 pounds fresh ripe Apricots (organic) – enough to make up 4 cups chopped apricots
2. 1 cup Unsweetened Apple Juice
3. A packet of Pectin – No Sugar added (49 gram)
4. Butter – half a teaspoon (to prevent foaming during cooking)
5. Optional – One Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation & Directions:

• Wash and pit fresh apricots
• Discard pits but no need to peel apricots
• Chop pulp finely (not pureed)
• Place fruit and juice into large saucepan adding butter
• Add lemon if desired
• No Sugar Pectin is added last and stirred in well

Cooking Jam:

1. Place saucepan with above mixture on high heat until it boils – stirring continuously
2. Turn down heat to a “rolling boil” stirring often
3. Cook for 3 minutes
4. Remove from the heat
5. Fill clean (sterilized) jars with jam and add lids
6. Process the jars Hot Water Boiling method for 10 minutes to seal securely

Note:

• This recipe, using the same quantities, as per 1 through 4 above, works well for fresh blueberries (crush berries after washing) which is naturally sweet.
• Other fruit combinations are also great such as: a) 2 cups ripe blueberries with 2 cups rhubarb b) 2 cups strawberries with 2 cups rhubarb. Make up your own combinations with ripe fruit available. Follow directions above.
• Even though no sugar was added to the apricot jam recipe, there is 30 grams of sugar per 250 ml of unsweetened apple juice which works out to about 6 grams per jar (5 jars total made)
• These small batches of jam are not a daily but a weekly (or more) “treat” not to be overindulged if you are on a special or low carb diet

In closing:

There you have it. These small jars make wonderful gifts any time of the year. Fresh apricots are always a treat just fresh from the tree. Enjoy your jam making and eating … Cheers, Liz

Links & References:

• “Fruits and Berries: A Keto Guide” from Diet Doctor, 2021
• “It’s Berry Time again“, Caramel & Parsley, 2021
• “The Low Carb Lifestyle – Links & Information“, Caramel & Parsley, 2017
• The feature photo is of Big Box store apricots from the USA. It was interesting that at one store non-organic apricots were $1+ per pound more than organic, fresh picked apricots from the Okanagan, purchased the day before at the local Farmers Market.