Peach & Apricot Jam
I first posted this Peach & Apricot Jam back in July 2013 and it was this jam that helped set me off on my jam making journey after winning 1st prize in our local Parish Day. As we’re in the middle of peach and apricot season I decided it was high time I re-shot the photographs to do this wonderful jam justice. I’ve also updated the recipe as you can easily add nectarines in the mix too So enjoy the new pictures and you can read the original post below!
UPDATE: Since writing this post yesterday (July 2013) I am over the moon to report that I won 1st prize in my first ever competition at the Byfleet Parish Day. I was completely taken aback and almost wanted to burst into tears when I saw the card saying 1st Prize next to my jam:-) My crochet came nowhere but that really doesn’t matter!
I seem to go through phases of exploring a technique like bread making and then experimenting endlessly and enjoying my new found skill. My current craze is jam making, once you understand the science behind it you can just keep making up new jam recipes to your heart’s content. Jam is not difficult or time consuming it just takes a little bit of forward planning. Though for this recipe I left everything until the last minute. With short notice to submit my entry form for the local village Parish Day I found myself needing a fast solution.
I usually soak fruit, sugar and lemon juice overnight ready for jam making the next day but there was no time for this. As I’d seen recipes in the past that bypassed this step I thought I would do the same as I had no other option. I rummaged around my garage for some spare clean jars, gave them a wash in hot soapy water, poured boiling water in them to sterilise and then popped them in the oven at 140°C for 20 minutes while I set about chopping up the fruit which I happened to have – peaches and apricots.
The jam was ready after 12 minutes of boiling and I have to say it took me back to the breakfasts I used to have at my Danish grandmother’s house where we would always have rolls, jam and cheeses to start the day. We tried out the jam on croissants and even my fussy daughter came round to wanting to try it and after tasting suggested I start selling my jam! This will be my first entry into a competition and even if I don’t win I’m so pleased that I was pushed to make it as it’s a definite winner in our household.
I do hope you make my Peach and Apricot Jam and if you need further breakfast preserve inspiration then check these recipes:
Mirabelle Plum Jam
Simple Shredless Orange Marmalade
Carrot Jam which apparently tastes similar to apricot jam!
For more peach, nectarine and apricot jam recipes you might like:
- Strawberry & Peach Jam
- Peach & Ice Wine Jam
- Peach & Bourbon Jam
- Caramelised Nectarine & Apricot Jam
- Apricot & Vanilla Jam
- Small Batch Nectarine Jam
Why not pin for later?
NB: I failed to read my own instructions properly so only gave this Peach & Apricot Jam 10 minutes on a rolling boil so the set is on the soft side but if you follow my instructions you’ll get a better set at 12 minutes. We like soft set jam so I won’t be reboiling this and it has firmed a little more since storing it in the fridge! But it’s better to under boil than over boil so I always recommend testing sooner than the time I get a set at as pectin levels vary depending of the level of ripeness of your fruit.
And if you’ve made it this far to the bottom of this post here’s the shot of my Peach & Apricot Jam after it had won its 1st prize:-)
Peach & Apricot Jam
Ingredients
- 450 g just ripe apricots stoned & quartered
- 450 g just ripe peaches or mix of peaches and nectarines stoned & cut into bite sized chunks
- 785 g granulated sugar
- 100 ml water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice + skin of ½ an unwaxed lemon
Instructions
- Put 3 small plates in the freezer to test set.
- Put all the ingredients in a preserving pan or similar and heat gently to dissolve the sugar crystals (stirring frequently with a wooden spoon).
- Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes and keep stirring.
- Take off the heat and check for set by putting a few drops on a chilled saucer.
- Allow to cool for 30 second in the firdge and if it crinkles when a finger is pushed through it, it’s ready.
- If not boil for another 2 minutes and repeat this testing process until a set is achieved. (Mine took 12 minutes).
- Remove any scum with a spoon if necessary.
- If the jam is looking a bit too chunky use a potato masher to gently squash the fruit.
- Ladle into warm sterilised jars and apply lids or wax discs and cellophane lids.
- Makes 3 standard sized jars.
Greta
Awesome jam. Thank you Camilla for your detail instructions and clearing of doubts. Took me about 20 minutes of cooking time as i has little more fruit than the recipe. Added half TSP of cinnamon.
Fantabulous!!
Camilla
Thank you Greta, so glad you like the recipe and put your own stamp on it:-)
Katie
Made this the other day. Got just short of 5 – 1/2pint jars. Cooked for 14 mins & set perfectly. I’ve never weighed out ingredients before but worked well. Very yummy!
Camilla
Excellent Katie, so glad you like it:-)
Katie
Made this again with just peaches & added habaneros to it… awesome!!
Now I’m making a batch with the apricot/peach mixture with habaneros… can’t imagine it not tasting as more wonderful then the peach habanero…..
Greta
Congrats Camilla!, I have a more peaches than what your recipe asks for. Will the recipe still work if i adjust the sugar and water accordingly. I have about 1450 grams of only peaches.
Camilla
Thank you Greta. That should be fine, it will just take a bit longer to reach setting point.
Natasha
Hi Camilla, when you boil the fruits with sugar do you have it on rolling boil for the whole 10-12 min or do you reduce the flame in between.
Camilla
Hi Natasha, it is a rolling boil for the full time. Turn off heat to test on chilled plate and then bring to rolling boil again if setting point not yet reached.
Natasha
Made it today.. It’s really delicious. The colour is vibrant.. It was my first time making jam and turned out so well. It is soft set but it’s only three hours since canned.
Can’t stop admiring it.
Thank you so much for such a great recipe.
By the way I love that you weigh your ingredients. It clears all confusion and can be adopted universally
Camilla
Yay Natasha, so glad you love the jam and that you started your jam making journey with one of my recipes. Also over the moon that you appreciate the recipe is in grams and not cups:-)
Priscilla
Hi Camilla, im making this recipe next week for sure. Just wanted to know if there was a difference in taste by soaking the fruit overnight or not. I guess i will have to experiment. Looks good on my french bread!
Camilla
Hi Priscila, soaking overnight will make the fruit keep it’s shape/structure, it might affect flavour too but not an experiment I’ve ever done.
Joy
Do I leave the skin on the fruit, because I’m not certain with your recipe. Thanks.
Camilla
Hi Joy, yes you keep the skin on the fruit, I would say to remove if that was the case:-)
Adrienne Portia Stocks
Super easy recipe. I removed the lemon peel before potting it. I didnt have quite enough fruit so adjusted the recipe accordingly and it set within 12 minutes. Cannot wait to try it. Good use of my Oddbox fruit box. I think I may be pretty near you – I am in Esher 🙂
Camilla
Fabulous Adrienne, so glad you like the recipe, so try some of my other jams too! Yes you’re not far away at all:-)
Sue
I wish you had converted into cups for us US citizens, yours looked like the best recipe with 5 stars, now I don’t know how to convert to grams. I think instead of saying where do you think I live, you could have tried to convert for people that do not live in your country. I will try and google your measurements, as I am making jam right now for Farmer’s Market here in USA, and want to use your recipe.
Camilla
Hi Sue, I care passionately about the accuracy of my recipes and it is impossible to accurately convert a weight to a volume. I actually thought I would develop a Blueberry Jam from scratch using cups and weights but when my cups of blueberries varied in weight by 20 grams or more I gave up as once you multiply that up then that’s a big margin of error. I have Google Amazon US and the first page brought up heaps of cheap electronic scales. I would really encourage you to make this investment and you won’t look back, it is so much easier to toss ingredients into a bowl on a scale than be fiddling with cups, especially for things like flour. I wish I could fix this but I would be inundated with complaints, the only answer is a set of scales.
Jacqui Kirk
Most US blog recipes don’t convert for European users Sue and we have to work out what exactly a cup of various ingredients actually consists of. At least with weighed ingredients it is reasonably easy to convert from metric to imperial weights and measures and vice versa.
Carolyn
Why do you use metric measures instead of cups, ounces and pounds????
Camilla
Where do you think I live Carolyn?
Jerry
I think she lives on Zanussi!!
Joy
Hi there! I am a super novice jam maker and I’m looking forward to making this jam. When you mentioned the skin of 1/2 a lemon, did you mean the lemon skin zested? Thanks.
Camilla
Hi Joy, yes the skin without the juice, zested:-)