Apricot Blackberry Jam

This year's crop of Apricots was incredible. This Apricot Blackberry Jam rocks the toast. I get so busy canning when the season is on that I forget to post for you all.

But we were also lucky enough to grab some of the apricot's from Washington.

So Apricot Blackberry Jam here we come!






Remember it is never to late to look at and plan next year's canning calendar. I love to mix up my jam's. To create a jam that makes you actually imagine the way it looked on the tree. You do want to taste the fruit prior to adding the sugar to your jam.  It is all about the temperature.


 Ingredients yields about 7 half pints - 8 0unce Jars

4 cup of chopped apricots
3 cups of blackberries
1/4 cup of lemon juice
3 to 4 cups of sugar- depends on the fruit





I thought that the mixture of some sweet apricots and just slightly tart blackberries would do a palate good.

Wash your fruit and let it dry thoroughly! 
Water is not a jam's friend !

The first thing we need to do is chop up the apricot's. Not to small and not to large as we cook them down they will get small and we will use some of our tool's to accomplish the rest.







Place your chopped apricots and the lemon juice into a large stainless steel pot and simmer until they all get nice and warm. You can mush prior to adding your blackberries. In this little picture you see I turned to the old reliable potato smasher it always seems to do the job I need.








Alright moving on we have warmed our apricots pieces and lemon now it is time to add your blackberries. Stir in your blackberries and get those to the consistency you like.  








Once you have a rolling boil coming up start to add your sugar one cup at a time. Make sure you dissolve the sugar prior to adding another cup. Once it is all dissipated bring it backup to a rolling boil.

To get it up to the right temperature which is a sweet 223 to get the gel. Just keep it at a rolling boil but keep stirring it so you do not burn the bottom or get a thicker mix on the bottom.

Now it is time to turn the flame down and let your jam sit for a few minutes prior to filling your jars. Check the jam to see if it is set. This gives you time to get the jars out of the water-bath and scrape any foam off the top of the jam.

Ladle the jam into sterilized half-pint jars leaving 1/2 inch from the top. Wipe the rims clean, add lids and rings. Process in a boiling-water bath for 12 minutes.





Once done remove from the bath let them cool for 24 hours. Once cooled remove the ring (do not store with the ring on) wipe clean and store labeled for up to one year.

Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.