French Apricot Jam with Lavender
French apricot jam recipe with a touch of lavender. Best for spreading on baguettes, brioche or crêpes and also good warmed and served as a sauce with ice cream, a glaze on apple tarts or as a filling for macarons.
Equipment
- Heavy bottomed jam pot (traditional copper optional)
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.5 lb) apricots washed and cut in 4 (stones removed)
- 400 g (14oz) granulated sugar with added pectin (preserving sugar)
- juice of a lemon
- 2 fresh lavender flowers or 1 teaspoon dried lavender in a tea infuser
- 1 knob of butter
Instructions
- Mix together the above ingredients (except the butter) in a large bowl and leave to macerate and infuse with the lavender overnight or about 4 hours.
- Remove the lavender or keep in for a more pronounced flavour.
- In a heavy high-sided pot or saucepan (as I use induction heat, but traditionally - if you can - use a copper pot), bring the ingredients to a slow boil with the butter over a medium heat for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally using a wooden spoon.Meanwhile, chill a saucer in the fridge or freezer to check setting process (especially if no pectin used).
- Turn down the heat and leave to simmer until thickened. Test the jam on the chilled saucer. If it wrinkles, it's set. If not, then continue to boil the jam and try again. This stage isn't entirely necessary with added pectin.
- Pour directly into hot, sterilised jars nearly to the top, seal the lids tightly and turn the jars upside down to seal the jam inside. Leave to cool then label.
Notes
Storage: Store in a cool place for up to a year. Once opened, store in the fridge.
Apricot Jam with Pectin: As apricots are naturally low in pectin (which helps set jam), use special preserving sugar with pectin to speed along the setting process (read the label that ingredients don't contain palm oil).
Without pectin: use the lemon juice of a whole lemon and plain granulated sugar. Boil for longer (up to an hour) to reduce. Lemon juice is naturally high in pectin and the acid helps set the jam naturally. To Avoid Scum on Jam: Although optional, the knob of butter is an old family trick we use to reduce the scum that forms on jam. Don't ask me why but it works. Lavender: If you prefer it without, then this is just as good! Please note that the calorie count is approximate for one jar (the whole batch is about 2165 calories).
Without pectin: use the lemon juice of a whole lemon and plain granulated sugar. Boil for longer (up to an hour) to reduce. Lemon juice is naturally high in pectin and the acid helps set the jam naturally. To Avoid Scum on Jam: Although optional, the knob of butter is an old family trick we use to reduce the scum that forms on jam. Don't ask me why but it works. Lavender: If you prefer it without, then this is just as good! Please note that the calorie count is approximate for one jar (the whole batch is about 2165 calories).
Nutrition
Calories: 433kcal
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