Quick Apricot Jam via the Sprouted Kitchen

As you have probably guessed by now, I love jams, and I love making jams. Apricot jam is one of my most favorite jams to make. My primary complaint with most jams is the sheer amount of sugar called for in these recipes. So, I've recently made a lot of jams with honey (yum), and have tried making jams with less sugar. Recently, I made a blackberry, boysenberry and marionberry jam with honey...delicious. But the lovely Sara from the Sprouted Kitchen included a recipe for a Quick Apricot Jam in her cookbook. The color of her jam alone was enough to make me want to try her jam.

The recipe I've used previously, which is delicious, calls for a ton of sugar, and then jam ends up coming out a pale shade of orange. Sara's jam is bright, bright peachy-orange and is spreadable and looks amazing. So, I gave it a shot. It's so easy, and it's like eating a ripe, warm apricot right off a tree in the middle of summer. While my old jam tasted more like sugar, this jam tastes just like apricots. It's a real delight, and it will be the only apricot jam I make in the future...and get this...for 1.5 lbs of apricots, I only use 1/3 cup natural cane sugar!! Because my apricots are ripe and beautiful!

Quick Apricot Jam (RECIPE FROM THE SPROUTED KITCHEN COOKBOOK)
Ingredients:

Makes about 2 cups

1 1/2 pounds ripe apricots
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 to 2/3 cup natural cane sugar
pinch sea salt
Cut the apricots in half (or in quarters if they’re on the larger side) and discard the pits. You can leave the skin on; it will break down when the apricots are cooked.

1. In a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, combine the apricots, orange juice and 1/3 cup sugar and stir. Once the mixture is warmed through and the juices start to release, add the salt and turn the heat up to medium-high.

2. Continue to cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the fruit breaks down and resembles a puree, about 15 minutes. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar, if necessary. When the jam reads 190F to 200F on a candy thermometer, remove the jam from the heat and transfer to a bowl to stop the cooking process.

3. Give it a few more stirs to release the steam and allow it to cool completely. Use at once of transfer the jam to a clean glass jar and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.