History Cookbook: Apricot Jam

Healthiness : (12 votes)

Difficulty:  
Comments: This is a straight forward jam recipe. Care should be taken as boiling sugar is VERY hot. Use oven gloves to handle the hot jars.
Preparation Time: Fruit 10 mins, jars 15 mins
Cooking Time: approx. 30 minutes
Number of servings: 4-6 jars
Serving suggestions: Delicious on toast, scones and in jam tarts.
This is a vegetarian recipe


Cooking remained very traditional during this era, with people showing little interest in new food ideas. Jam could now be readily bought and was inexpensive. However it was considered to be a sign of good household management to make your own. Baking and jam making were very popular and sugar was easily available. Women's magazines flourished with household hints and recipes.

As a rough guide for jam: For 1 lb/450g of fruit use 1lb/450g of sugar and 1/4 pint, 150ml water. For this recipe:

• 2lb (900g) apricots
• 2lb (900g) sugar
• 1/2 pint (300ml) water
• 4-6 jam jars with lids
• 6 greaseproof and cellophane covers

• Measuring jugs
• Weighing scales
• Jam jars
• Greaseproof covers
• Sharp knife
• Oven gloves
• Deep sided pan

Always wash your hands before preparing food.

1. Heat the clean jars in the oven for 15 minutes Gas 4, 180C to sterilise them, turn the oven off and leave the jars until needed
2. Place the jam lids in hot water for 10-15 minutes then dry thoroughly
3. Wash, stone and chop the apricots
4. Add the apricots, sugar and water to a deep sided pan (a jam pan is best)
5. Heat slowly, stirring until the sugar has dissolved
6. Turn to high and bring rapidly to the boil and boil until you reach setting point (see note)
7. Remove from the heat
8. Using oven gloves ( as they may still be very hot) take the  jars and use a ladle to fill them with hot jam
9. Place a waxed disc onto the surface of the jam and put a cellophane cover over the neck of the jar. Screw on the lid
10. Leave the jam to go cold
11. Wipe the outside of each jar clean. Label and store

Setting point:

Method 1: use a sugar thermometer. This should be put in the pan at step 3. Setting point is 105C.

Method 2: use a cold saucer. Once the jam becomes very syrupy, spoon a small amount onto the saucer. Allow to cool, if a skin forms and the jam begins to hold it's shape, you have reached setting point.