Apricot Jam

I have been super busy the last few days jammin' - or in other words, making jam!! Last week, I ended up with a 5 gallon bucket OVERFLOWING with apricots. What does one do with all those apricots... obviously start jammin'! I wanted to share the recipes I used in case anyone else finds themselves with a whole lot of apricots (or any fruit).

My issue with jam is the amount of sugar that is usually required. The jam goes from tasting like fruit to tasting like sugar - which I don't like. Plus, I don't like feeding The Princess or her brothers all that sugar. Kids are bombarded with sugar these days so I wanted to avoid it as much as possible.

Imagine my delight when I came across this recipe online for organic sugar free apricot jam!! So perfect. Although to be honest, mine didn't turn out to be organic after all. I could not find the organic apple juice concentrate and didn't want to drive 30+ miles to a bigger health food store. But anyway... it turned out so yummy. And, it tastes like apricots instead of sugar.  Pomona's Universal Pectin is the magic ingredient. I was able to find some at a health food store. One box made 2 recipes so even though it was a bit on the pricey side, it went a long way. Can you tell that I am a little too excited about this jam? I have a delicious dinner recipe that I am so excited to use the jam in. Look for that recipe in the future.

I am a super novice at canning, so don't be scared if you have never canned before. I believe that this was my 3rd, maybe 4th time. Check out this post on Our Best Bites for some quick tips and tricks before you venture into the canning world. This is where I learned all of my canning know-how. I bought the little kit talked about in their post and I just borrow a large pot from my neighbor. Easy peasy!

But, if canning still scares you, the second method I used is sure to be a winner. It is even easier and the jam is just as yummy. Freezer jam! Once again though, there is usually a lot of sugar in freezer jam which always made me leery. Than, I found Cornaby's Jam in a Jiffy.

All you need is 4 cups of crushed fruit, water and the mix. It is that easy. There is some sugar in the mix, but much lower than in traditional freezer jams. You can even mix fruits to create your own flavors. I mixed apricots and raspberries. YUM!

I got a little carried away and made 3 batches of freezer jam and canned 12 pints and 3 quarts of regular jam... and still had about 1/3 of my 5 gallon bucket of apricots left. We will definitely be stocked with jam this year - good tasting, healthy jam!

Disclaimer: I have not been paid in any way by either Pomona's Universal Pectin or Cornaby's Jam in a Jiffy.  I just love their products and want to share them with others.

Jana