Orange and Apricot Jam with a hint of Rosemary

Each year when there is fresh fruit in abundance I feel the urge to make jam. Making jam is such an easy thing to do. And let’s be honest: homemade jam tastes so much better than the shop-bought ones. This time, I made orange and apricot jam.

Another advantage of making your own jam is that you can experiment with flavours and create flavours that you will not easily find in the supermarket. The same goes for this particular one. You can buy apricot jam from all major brands, but have you found this one already?

I have used the combination of oranges and apricots before when making jam. It gives the jam this tangy citrus taste, but it is still sweet enough to be called jam instead of marmalade.

And there is something about the combination of orange and rosemary that I like. Rosemary, of course, is not the most obvious herb to be used in sweet dishes. You will most likely find it in savoury dishes. But like basil, this one really pairs well with certain sweet tones, like orange. So I decided to add it to my jam: orange and apricot jam with a hint of rosemary!

Preparations

I gathered all my ingredients and sat down outside at the garden table. The weather was so nice and maybe some of that sunlight is preserved in the jam now as well!

Start by taking out the stones of the apricots and cut them into pieces. Put them into a large bowl.

Then add the jam sugar to the bowl.

Zest the oranges and press out the juices. Add both completely to the contents of the bowl. Use only one orange for a more milder orange flavour.

Stir and see how the sugar dissolves in the fruit juices.

Now cut the rosemary leaves and put them in a tea bag. Tie with kitchen rope if necessary.

Put the tea bag in the bowl and make sure the rosemary is well tucked into the fruit and juice. Cover the bowl and put in the fridge for 2 days.

Sterilizing your jars

I like to re-use jam jars for my homemade jams. Usually my mother gives me the empty glasses of her shop-bought jam. These particular ones are my favourite (because of the lids of course!) Make sure your jars are clean. Either clean them in the dishwasher or by hand using a detergent.

To prepare my jars, I put them in an empty sink and fill up the water kettle. Fill your jars all the way and a little more with the boiling water. Depending on the amount of jars, heat up another kettle to make sure all your jars are rinsed with boiling water thoroughly.

Use a pair of tongs to empty your glasses and place them upside down on a clean dishcloth. Be careful, the jars are boiling hot!

In the meantime, I put a small pan, filled with clean water, on the stove. Put in the lids and bring this to a boil. Let it boil for a minute to sterilize the lids. Use a pair of tongs to remove them from the pan and put them onto the clean dishcloth with the jars.

You can actually prepare your jars while the jam is slowly heating up.

Cooking the jam

Transfer the fruit and juices (and the rosemary!) to a large pan. Take the largest one that you have!

Slowly bring the contents to a boil.

Make sure that you have everything that you need on hand. Don’t forget a timer, I simply use my phone here.

Boil the fruit according to the instructions on the package of you jam sugar. Discard the tea bag filled with rosemary and transfer the jam to the prepared jars. Fill them almost all the way to the brim. Immediately close with a lid and put the jars upside down for at least five minutes. I usually let them cool all the way like this.

Put on a nice label if you like!

And there it is: your homemade jam!

Do you make your own jam? And what are your favourite flavours? I’m curious, please let me know in the comments!

You will find the recipe below where you can easily print or store it. Enjoy!

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Print Recipe

Orange and Apricot Jam with a hint of Rosemary

A little sunshine on your bread (or croissant, or scone, or ...)! That's what this jam will be. The orange flavour gives this jam some tangy freshness and then comes the herbal hint of rosemary.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time42 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Lunch, Sweets, Tea Time

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Servings: 5 jars of 370g each

Ingredients

• 1 kg ripe apricots amount without the stones
• 2 oranges zest and juice
• 1 large sprig rosemary leaves only
• 500 g jam sugar see notes

Instructions

• Start with the apricots by taking out the stones and cut into small pieces. Put the fruit in a large bowl
• Add the jam sugar to the bowl
• Add the zest and juice of both of the oranges to the bowl and stirr. You will notice that the sugar immediately starts to dissolve
• Chop the leaves of the rosemary and put in a tea bag. Put the bag into the bowl, making sure that the rosemary is in the juice
• Cover the bowl with cling film and put in the fridge for two days. Stir every now and then to make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved
• Prepare your jars and lids by cleaning and sterilising them
• Cook your jam according to the instructions on the package and carefully fill your jars. Closse them immediately and put them upside down for at least five minutes

Notes

Basically, jam sugar is regular sugar with added pectin. It's the pectin that thickens the jam. Pectin is naturally present in most fruits (especially apples). When making jam, I like to use jam sugar that is less sweet. Regular jam sugar uses a ratio of 1:1 meaning that the amounts of fruit and sugar are equal. The sugar that I like to use requires a 2:1 ratio: the amount of fruit you use is twice the amount of sugar that you use. Cooking times vary as well. Therefore check the instructions on your jam sugar before you start!

The orange flavour in this jam is rather intense which I quite like. If you would like to make yours a little milder, use just one orange (both zest and juice).

When you cook the jam, the rosemary flavour will develop completely. Don't worry when you can't taste the rosemary before cooking your jam.

Ripe apricots are very soft so there is no need to puree them before cooking. They will soften during the cooking.