Apricot Vanilla Bean Jam ~ Mes Confitures

You asked for it, so here it is! This is my favorite jam. A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to find organic apricots for only 50 cents a pound, so what to do? Buy 10 lbs and make apricot vanilla bean jam, of course!

The inspiration for this jam comes from Christine Ferber's jam making Bible, Mes Confitures. This book is incredible. It has so many amazing jam recipes - black cherry with Pinot noir, raspberry with white peach, apple with caramel. Is your mouth watering yet? She's called the fairy godmother of jams and jellies, and she deserves it.

Alright, recipe time!


Apricot Vanilla Bean Jam
adapted from Christine Ferber's Mes Confitures

2 + 1/2 lbs ripe apricots
3 + 3/4 cups granulated sugar
7 oz water (a little less than a cup)
juice of one small lemon
2 Vanilla Beans, or 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

1. Rinse and pit the apricots. Place the apricots, the sugar, water, lemon juice, and vanilla bean split lengthwise (or vanilla bean paste) in a large heavy bottomed pot, and mash with a potato masher. (Ferber has you do some macerating and over night stuff, and then you peel off the skins, but that is way too fussy for me!)

2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cook on high heat, until the jam reaches 221 degrees. Or be lazy like me and forget the thermometer - boil until the jam sets (you can check the sit by dripping some onto a cold plate. It it sets instead of runs, it's done!)

3. Put the jam immediately into canning jars and seal.