Have you ever had a dried-fruit jam? This dried apricot jam has just as apricotty a taste as any apricot jam. The texture is a bit more substantial than a typical jam, but in a good way.
Dried Apricot Jam
Course: CondimentsDifficulty: Easy4
servingsIngredients
1.75 lbs. (3½ cups) dried apricots
12 oz. (1½ cups) water
9 oz. (1 cup + 2 Tbs) orange juice, divided
1 Tbs lemon juice
14.4 oz. (2 cups) sugar
2 oz. (1/4 cup) peach schnapps
Salt, to taste
Directions
- Add the apricots, water, 8 oz. (1 cup) orange juice, and lemon juice to a medium saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil over medium heat (setting 4), 10 minutes. Cover and continue to boil for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the entire contents of the saucepan to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is broken down to a consistency you prefer, perhaps 10 one-second pulses. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan, add the sugar, and over high heat (setting 6), bring the mixture to a full boil while stirring constantly.
- Once the mixture has been bubbling at a full, hard boil for 1 minute, remove from heat. Allow to cool. Refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, scrape the jam into a stand mixer and blend in schnapps and juice, to taste, until it’s as loose as you’d prefer. Season with salt, perhaps 1/4 tsp.
Intro
This jam tastes like pure apricot. It’s bright and sweet and wonderful. It does have a subtle chew that you don’t expect in a jam, but it seems completely delightful. Bonus: your kitchen will smell like heaven while this jam is cooking.
Social Learning
About this recipe…
When you add the mixture to the food processor, it’s going to fog up your bowl and make it hard to see your progress. You have no choice, really, but to open the lid and peek in. The jam in the pictures was pulsed about ten times. It produced a finely chopped texture that made the jam easily spreadable.
When you add the sugar, you’re going to wonder how the mixture is going to come to a boil. It is a paste with a bunch of dry sugar dumped on top. As you heat and stir, though, the sugar will melt, and the mixture will turn to a thick liquid and start to boil.
In Steps 2 and 3, you never have to stir furiously. I use a silicone spatula and focus mainly on the edge of the pan. That’s where the boiling will start. The harder it boils, the more you’ll be tempted to speed up your stirring. Resist that. Just diligently keep your work focused mainly at the edge of the pan, at a medium pace, going round and round, and sometimes pulling the jam at the edges toward the center. Once you notice that the mixture is boiling not just at the edge of the pan, but at the center, that’s what I consider to be a full boil. Your stirring at this point will make the most satisfying sound, like popping tiny, tiny bubble wrap.
About similar recipes…
There is a Serious Eats recipe that combines dried apricots with fresh pineapple. It calls for pectin – because of the pineapple, you’d think, but other recipes that include nothing other than dried apricots also call for it. I didn’t find it necessary; the jam was beautifully thick. Serious Eats also suggests that you cook the jam to 220°F. Bernardin has a recipe that calls for 1/2 tsp butter to be added to the initial mixture to reduce foaming. I did notice foaming initially, but it seemed to correct itself once I put the lid on.
Why wait until morning to stir in the schnapps? Because you’ll want to judge the spreadability straight from the fridge.
Looking Forward
This jam is quite sweet; I’d like to see what it’s like with 25% less sugar. I liked it as-is, but I tend to like less sweet things.
I think a courser texture might be interesting. Next time, I think I might see what five pulses in the processor. I think a courser texture might call for pectin.
The Backstory
I like to stock dried fruits. I toss them in salads, in oatmeal, snack on them, pack them in my lunch … stuff like that. Recently, I scored a huge bag of dried apricots, but it seemed like I wasn’t putting much of a dent in it, so I thought I’d give this jam a try.
You know how when you buy plain yogurt, it’s always in huge containers? I used to find that vexing, because I was buying it for a recipe that required a lot less of it than a huge tub, and although I love flavored yogurts, I couldn’t imagine eating it plain. However, over time, I found myself coming around to the taste of plain, unsweetened yogurt. So now, I almost always have a big tub of it in the fridge. I do eat it plain, but sometimes I’ll stir in a big spoonful of jam. This apricot jam, of course, is perfect for that. Yogurt with jam, pie filling, or compote stirred in is so much better than commercially prepared, flavored yogurt, that now it’s been years since I bought a single-serving, flavored yogurt.
Lots and lots of people can this jam. I’ve never canned anything. I’m going to, though, one day. Anyway, because I don’t, I keep it in the fridge. The recipe does produce a pretty hefty yeild, but I have no problem going through it on my morning toast or stirred into a bowl of oatmeal or a cup of plain Greek yogurt.
Dried Apricot Jam
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. References: Lord Byron’s Kitchen. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #14 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.
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Jeff — the very first jam I made was from a Harrod’s cookbook and it was a dried apricot and almond jam. It was amazing good and I liked that you could make it at any time of year. I definitely will be making your version. It’s so very different from the one I made. Maybe I will need to make both — jars of jam make wonderful gifts. Does your four servings mean four jars?
Thank for that question! Four cups. Fixed that in the recipe. I’d love to see what your apricot almond jam is like!
Thanks, Jeff. The Harrod’s recipe has 1.5 pounds dried apricot halves, juice of 2 lemons, 5 pints water, 2 pounds sugar, and 3/4 cup slivered blanched almonds. You can see how different they are. I think it made 10 cups, but I don’t remember for sure. When we get back from France, I will be trying your recipe.
My main takeaway from that was “when we get back from France.” I’ve always wanted to be able to say that. 🙂 Happy travels, and happy eating!
Mmmmm. I think I’d like this over regular apricot jam! Love the schnapps!
Thank you, Mimi!
I never thought of using dried fruits. Genius!! When I make jam I do not use pectin either. I haven’t really seen the need for it as the jam comes out to a wonderful consistency. We also put our own fruit, jam, or whatever is on hand into our Greek Yogurt. The flavor is so much better without all of those nasty chemicals. Love this recipe.
Thanks, Lori!
Mi hai molto incuriosita con queste albicocche secche, da provare, grazie!!!
Hope you like it!
Have never used dried fruit to make jam…how interesting!
Thanks!
This looks delicious, and the recipe seems pretty straight forward. If we were neighbors, I’d stop by for a spoonful to try. 🙂 I love apricots so I’m positive its perfectly wonderful whether on toast or in your yogurt.
Wish we were neighbors!
I stock dried fruit as well, it’s such a great thing to have on hand, as you mentioned in salads or even making a compote of it. This apricot jam looks fantastic. I’m always a little hesitant to reduce the sugar when canning because it is the preservative but if you keep it in the fridge, like I would, no worries.
Right! I’m looking forward to learning to can things.
Yeah, I love jam made with dried fruit – I’ve tried with apricots, figs, and prunes. So good and delivers a rich flavour. And of course, I love the addition of alcohol!
Sometimes alcohol is the answer!
Bonjour .
Une très bonne confiture avec des abricots séché .
Bonne soirée .
Thank you, Jacques!
C’est si bon la confiture d’abricot
Elle donne envie
Bonne soirée
Thank you, Delphine!
Mai pensato di fare una marmellata con le albicocche secche. Bellissima idea 🙂 Deve essere buonissima.
Thank you, it is! I never thought of it, either, but necessity breed invention, I guess.
About that backstory…Sounds like me! I buy the big containers of plain yogurt that actually took me a long time to get used to and once I add my mix-ins I am fine. Just like I would be fine with this apricot jam. You can bet I will be trying it!
Awesome!
The peach schnapps puts this over the top!! Must be delicious.
It really did make a difference. I liked it before I added the schnapps, but I felt it didn’t have enough depth. Others of the MILAM crew liked it before the schnapps, I should add.
Years ago i ve tried dried apricot jam(without any added taste like brandy or spice) and i was astonished how could be so different the same fruits taste depending on freshness or dryness. It smelled very elegantly both fruit and flowers of apricot.You can sleep and see the sweet dreams made of this.
Thank you, Muzo!
The idea of enjoying it with plain yogurt or stirring it into oatmeal sounds absolutely delicious. Never tried it on either, now I will start to do so
I have afeeling you’ll like it!
Proverò sicuramente la tua marmellata!
I hope you like it, Carla!
What an interesting idea – jam made from dried fruit! I’ve made fridge jams like this on a number of occasions, but I’m intrigued by the idea of using dried fruit. Plus, I love a good English muffin with jam. You’re talking my kinda language here, Jeff!
Thanks, David!
I’ve never thought to use dried fruit in jam or preserves. I think it’s brilliant! And I love dried apricots. The more apricot-y the better. I’d like just go at it with a spoon. 😉 ~Valentina
I’m really glad I stumbled onto the idea.
yes i too like to keep lots of dried fruit to hand in the pantry – sour cherries, sultanas, currants, cranberries … This sounds like a fab jam Jeff!
cheers
sherry
Thanks, Sherry!
Ante todo quiero agradecerte tu visita, eres muy amable. No me gusta mucho comer mermeladas, pero si hacerlas para luego regalarlas. Me quedo con tu receta pues la he encontrado muy, muy original, tendré que probar. Un abrazo desde Barcelona
Jam does make a great gift. Thank you!
Hi my friend, Jeff 🖐😊
I must say that this Jam looks very tasty 🖐😊 This is very interesting way to prepare Jam. Your recipes are not just very inspiring, but also very creative 👍😊
Best regards for you and I hug you strongly 🤗🥰😘
What a nice thing to say. Thank you, Patryk!
This looks amazing, I am looking for some bread slices. Homemade jams & spreads seem the best to me.
Thank you, Soma!
I have never made jam from dried apricots, but this is a very interesting suggestion 🙂
Thank you, Marzynia!
Apricots do come for a short while from Turkey, let me try, may be I would look for dried apricots!