I love apricot season in the summer! Apricots are really easy to work with in canning as you don’t have to tediously peel all the fruit, like many canning recipes for peaches. This is a great starter recipe if you are new to canning because its fairly straightforward and the jam comes together really nicely with a short time on the burner. This comes from one of my favorite canning blogs, Food in Jars.

I particularly love this apricot rosemary jam as it adds a really nice savory element to the sweet apricots, which makes the jam pretty versatile. I like to can this jam in mini 4 oz jars, because I think that is the perfect size to place with a cheese platter and also the right amount for a couple of grilled chicken thighs (see below).

Apricot Rosemary Jam

Yield: 6-8 4oz jars

• 2 pounds apricots
• 2 cups sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• Juice of 1 lemon

Sterilize eight 4oz jars in boiling water for 10 minutes and place the lids and rings in a small pot with enough water to cover them. Bring the small pot to just barely a simmer.

Slice the apricots in half and remove the pits, which comes out cleanly (unlike those clingstone peaches!).

Once the apricots get tossed in the pot with sugar, they simmer over medium high heat and they start to break down quickly. If you have really ripe apricots, you can mash them up before this step, but mine were fairly firm so I needed the heat to soften them up a little.

Once the mix is broken down thoroughly, stir in the lemon juice and you are ready to ladle the hot jam in to your sterilized jars, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace at the top. Run a chopstick along the inside to remove any bubbles and add your heated lid and ring. Process for 10 minutes in boiling water, then turn off the water and allow the jars to sit for another 10 minutes. I find this helps ensure a good seal so I lose less finished jars to the fridge. Pull the jars out of the water and let sit for 24 hours, then check the seal by pushing the lid up gently on the edge with your thumb. If it opens up, refrigerate and use within the next couple weeks. Otherwise, remove the ring and you are good to go and the jam is shelf stable for up to a year.

Uses:

• Chicken – I love this flavor combo with grilled chicken. When I crack open one of these 4 oz jars, I mix most of the jam (leave behind about an ounce) with a little olive oil to thin it out and pour it in a bag with 2 whole skin-on chicken thighs. I marinade the mixture for 30-45 minutes making sure to occasionally massage the apricot marinade in to the meat.  Once the meat is ready for the grill, I thin out the remaining ounce with some water or olive oil and then use that to brush over the meat while it is on the grill. The sweet and savory jam pairs really well with the smoky grilled chicken.
• Cheese Board – The jam pairs really well with goat cheese to add a bit of tang.