Brandied Ginger Apricot Jam (No pectin required)

Apricot jam with a boozy twist! I used brandy along with ginger and vanilla to add depth of flavor and make this tart sweet apricot jam a happy place for your taste buds. (But no worries, you can still serve this jam to children because the alcohol definitely cooks off.)

A couple weeks ago, I’d gone up to my parents’ house and helped pick apricots from my dad’s apricot tree. I got up on the ladder, but with my short legs and little arms, I couldn’t reach very many of the apricots. I ended up climbing the tree to grab some more of the precious fruit. And then I brought a bunch of them home and wondered what to do with all these apricots. I made roasted apricot maple ice cream. That was good! I set the rest of the little fuzzy fruits out in the laundry room to wait. And then I got busy with other things … and several days later I noticed some of those apricots we worked so hard to obtain were going bad. Oh dear. I needed to do something fast. I decided I needed to make jam.

What do you do when you want to make jam, but have no pectin in the house? Well, you COULD run to the store to get some pectin. Or you could just make do with what you’ve got. Not being a huge fan of pectin (it always seems to cost so much and I am on a tight budget lately), I opted for the latter. Before I started making my pectin-free jam, though, I consulted the internet and found this post from Curious Cuisinere that totally convinced me I was fine proceeding without pectin. Not that I was really worried in the first place, but it’s nice to have confirmation.

I wanted to make a boozy jam because, well, I have discovered that alcohol just makes things taste better, even when the end product is not a drink and the alcohol is going to get cooked away. Besides who wouldn’t want a jar of Brandied Ginger Apricot Jam? It’s a total treat just spread on a piece of toast. But I can think of sooo many other good uses for this jam besides toast. I love to use jam in salad dressings, but jam is also great in meat sauces and marinades and makes a lovely filling for crumb bars. But oh there’s so much more … in fact, here are 28 more ideas for using jam.

Don’t have apricots? Try substituting peaches. What if the jam doesn’t have any tartness? My dad’s apricots get really tart when they’re cooked, but you might have a different variety that doesn’t get tart … in that case, add a bit of lemon juice.

Brandied Ginger Apricot Jam

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 5 - 6 half-pint jars of jam 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 lb. apricots, pitted and chopped
• 3 – 4 cups sugar (I used 3)
• 1/4 cup apricot or peach brandy
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• A pinch of cardamom

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Instructions

1. Put all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir to mix. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apricots have cooked down to a thickened jam consistency, about 30 – 45 minutes.
2. Carefully pour the hot jam into hot, sterilized jars and use a clean cloth to wipe the rims clean. Put the lids on immediately, tighten the rings fully and (using a towel to handle the hot jars) set the jars upside down until the jars seal. If any of the jars do not seal, use those first! Label the jam and remove the rings before storing.

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Notes

If your apricots are not tart when cooked, add a little lemon juice for a tart-sweet flavor.

To sterilize the jars and lids: put them in boiling water for 5 minutes or in the dishwasher on the “hot” setting.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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Looking for more apricot recipes?

While I was thinking about what to do with my apricots, I scoured the internet looking at all sorts of recipes. Here’s what I found:

• 11 Awesome Sweet and Savory Apricot Recipes
• 34 Apricot Recipes that Show off this Little Fuzzy Fruit
• Our 21 Best Apricot Dessert Recipes from Epicurious
• 16 Year Round Recipes for Fresh & Dried Apricots from Bon Appetit
• 20 Apricot Recipes that are Truly Amazing and Absolutely Delicious from Martha Stewart

Want more interesting jam recipes? Here are a few of mine, plus several more that caught my eye:

• Maple Bourbon Peach Jam from Cooking with Mary and Friends
• Small Batch Bourbon Raspberry Fig Jam
• Blueberry Lime Jam from Fountain Avenue Kitchen
• Five Alarm Apple Hot Pepper Jam
• Spicy Hot Tomato Tamatillo Jam
• Caramel Apple Jam
• Boozy Jams: A Surprisingly Delicious Combination
• Blueberry Chardonnay Jam from Midwest Living
• Boozy Bourbon Bacon Jam from Kitchn
• The 15 Funkiest Jam Recipes You Should Try at Least Once
• No-Cook Strawberry Chia Jam