Apricots in Light Syrup
Servings: 6 pints
Ingredients
- 8-10 lbs. apricots halved & pitted
- 3 3/4 c. water
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 c. lemon juice divided among jars
- 6 pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
Instructions
- Prepare the boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
- Cut apricots in half and remove the pit. (Submerge the fruit in a mixture of 1/4 cup lemon juice and 4 cups cold water to prevent browning and drain.) Pack apricots, cavity side down and overlapping layers, into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Combine 3 3/4 cups water and sugar in a saucepan, slowly bring to a boil, Remove from heat when sugar is completely dissolved.
- Pour lemon juice over the fruit. Ladle hot syrup over fruit, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe the rims. Center lids on jars. Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight.
- Process jars in a boiling water canner for 25 minutes (start timing when the water returns to boil) adjusting for altitude.
- After processing, place the jars on a towel, to cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
When canning apricots, should I let the jars cool in the water after boiling the fruit in the jars/processing? I just canned some apricots and removed the jars from the hot water as soon as the timer rang. Some of the jars overflowed syrup out of the jars as I lifted them out. Janet
Janet
Hi Janet, No, do not cool them in the water. You should remove them from the water after processing. Place them on a dry towel to cool, away from a draft. They should not have leaked syrup out of the jars, this means they weren’t sealed properly.
Maybe she buckled her lids? Tightening too much?
Besides removing from water bath away from a breeze.
Give it a couple of minutes. Janet. Realize that the contents of each jars is boiling. If you’re able to lift the rack up a bit and perch it on the edges of you black granitewear water bath canner. Do so. Some of those canner have a rack that holds the 7 jars and has a handle on each side to lower and lift all the jars at once. Also know that you need to have the contents (fruit and liquid) only up to the height (i.e. 1/2 inch, or 1 inch, or whatever the instructions specify. If the contents are too high and don’t give you enough space, then it is very easy to overflow. I know this is a lengthy reply, and very late in coming, but maybe you can see it and it might help you or someone else to realize that headspace is important.
Can you use frozen fruit for this recipe? I harvested my apricot tree and put up some fresh fruit in the freezer just in the last month.
Hi Alicia, I’d say no, but you could use the frozen fruit for jellies, jams, or pie fillings and then can them.
After canning my apricots as instructed they floated up in the jars which is not a problem but they are completely mushy when trying to eat them, very unpleasant. Can I make jam/preserves out of them? If yes, how? Your help will be appreciated.
Hi Barbara, I am so sorry that happened to you. There are a number of reasons this can occur. First and foremost check your seals! Note: Loosely packed fruit, too much air, not enough liquid covering fruit, and processing time, can all cause the fruit to float. Here’s a pretty good article that explains it. https://www.sbcanning.com/2011/06/why-is-my-canned-fruit-floating.html
Yes, you can make jam from the fruit, but you will need to adjust the sugar and add pectin. I would not process the fruit/jam in a hot water bath a second time. Instead, make freezer jam!
Hi! Excited to try this recipe tomorrow with the two flats of apricots we got from a friend. Question: can you please clarify what you mean in step 4, “pour lemon juice over the fruit.” Are you referring to the lemon juice/water bath in step 2? Or? Thank you!
Hi Allison, Use a 1/4 cup in step 2 and divide the remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice among the jars in step 4. Hope that helps?
What altitude is the 20 min? I am at 5400+/-
Hi Ginger, You should process for 35 minutes for pint jars, 40 minutes for quart jars. I found this info here: https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/research/apricots
This was very helpful…..
I’ve been making Apricot Jam and after 50+ jars, my son suggested canning halves and your recipe popped right up! PERFECT!!
Many thanks!!
Dianne