Apricot Raspberry Jam with Orange

by Beth Lee · Published: Jun 29, 2021 · Modified: Sep 15, 2021

Apricot Raspberry Jam with hints of orange is a beautiful combination for your taste buds and your eyes. Pair these fantastic fruits and you'll get a jam that is more than the sum of its parts! (This post was first published in 2012 and updated in 2021)

Another great jam is my strawberry jam spiked with pineapple guava recipe

For ease of browsing, here are all of my jams, salsas, and sauces in one place.

Close-up of apricot raspberry jam in jar with can lid leaning on jar.

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Why you'll love this recipe!

Apricot raspberry jam is a small batch jam, perfect for using up stragglers in your raspberry and apricot fruit bowls. In fact, I give my overflowing fruit basket full credit for turning me into a jam maker! One batch of jam I made from my overflowing fruit basket - strawberry raspberry jam - was so good it almost helped my son win his annual blintz-off with his Auntie Sharon.

I often make jam in small batches that I refrigerate and use up in a week or two. But since I first published this recipe, I've also realized that canning involves some science, but it is not rocket science! Check out this Sunset article on canning if you want to learn more.

Ingredients you'll need

A colander filled with ripe apricot, fresh raspberries and to the side a fresh orange for zest and a bottle of Mexican liqueur called 43 with labels to describe in white.

At it's most basic, jam is made with fresh fruit, sugar and lemon juice. To that trinity, I added orange zest and my favorite orange liqueur, 43.

Apricots: Blenheims and Bonny Royals have deep, delicious flavor but any apricot will work. Remember the cooking intensifies the flavor and you will be adding additional flavor components.
Raspberries: Basic red raspberries are perfect for this jam.
Lemon Juice: I always use fresh-squeezed rather than jarred lemon juice.
Orange Zest: Use a microplane grater to quickly get the zest off your citrus. It's one of my favorite kitchen tools!
Orange Liqueur: I love 43 with citrusy and vanilla undertones. But any orange liqueur will do or leave this out - it is purely optional. You can also use vanilla extract!
Sugar: I used regular granulated sugar and tend to use less sugar than many traditional jam makers. I like to really let the flavor of the fruit shine through.

How to make this recipe

1. To make this luscious raspberry apricot jam, combine the fruit and lemon juice in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium heat. Let it cook for a few minutes until you start to see juices release from the fruit.

Chopped apricots and raspberries in pot with lemon juice ready to cook.

2. Add the sugar and orange zest and mix well. Continue to cook for 10 - 15 minutes more. It should be steadily boiling and reducing and thickening. If white foam appears, skim it off but don't throw it out. It's delicious on toast or by the spoonful.

Apricots and raspberries bubbling in pot.

3. If using, add the orange liqueur near the end when the jam looks almost ready. Look how beautiful the texture and color is!

Jam ready to be jarred but still in the pot.

4. Let cool and place in clean, sterilized jars. Then refrigerate.

Raspberry apricot jam in glass jar with the cover off.

Expert Tips and FAQs

Since I made this jam way back in 2012, I've tried different methods - all yield good results. Here I let the fruit release some juices in the pan, then add the sugar and zest. You can also mix it all together before you start cooking it and let it sit on the counter or in the fridge. Or you can add all the ingredients except for the liqueur right at the beginning of cook time.
Have more apricots and less raspberries? Don't worry. Just follow the same basic instructions. As long as your total amount of fruit is about the same, it will be fine. Or double all the ingredients and make even more!
I use 8 ounce glass canning jars but if you're not sharing, you could use a pint jar instead.
You can sterilize your jars by running them under boiling hot water, actually boiling them, or running them through a dishwasher cycle.

Can I freeze the jam?

If you don't eat it up within a couple of weeks (how could it be?), then you can freeze it. Just make sure there is some space at the top of the jar. If you freeze liquid in glass with no space, the glass could break. I learned this the hard way.

Can I can this jam?

I did not follow strict canning protocol for the amount of sugar I used versus the fruit. But over the years, I've started to can jam even with lower sugar amounts. The key is to be sure the tops pop after you boil them. If they don't, put them in the refrigerator. Click this link for the all the details on proper canning.

Other jam recipes on OMG! Yummy

P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!

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Apricot Raspberry Jam

Beth Lee

Apricot Raspberry Jam with a hint of orange is a beautiful combination for your taste buds and your eyes. Pair these fantastic fruits and you'll get a jam that is more than the sum of its parts!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 23 kcal

Ingredients

12 oz fresh raspberries preferably organic, washed
5 apricots washed, pitted, cut in quarters
½ lemon juiced
½ cup sugar
zest of ½ an orange
2 tablespoons 43 liqueur or Cointreau optional

Instructions

Combine the lemon juice and fruit in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook on medium heat for about 7 minutes while it breaks down and releases its juices.
Once it is boiling and juicy, add the sugar and zest, turn down to medium-low and continue to boil and reduce for another 15 minutes or so. You’ll feel as you mix it that the liquid is reducing and you’ll see on the sides of the pan that the level goes down about 1 inch in volume (depends on the size of your pan of course). As you mix occasionally, skim off the white foam that appears.
It’s done when it is visibly thicker and all the fruit is broken down. Add the orange liqueur, if using, right near the end. As the jam cools, it will thicken further.
Transfer it to clean, sterilized glass jars, let it cool a bit more, and then refrigerate. You’ll need to use it up in a week or two.

Notes

Since I made this jam way back in 2012, I've tried different methods - all yield good results. Here I let the fruit release some juices in the pan, then add the sugar and zest. You can also mix it all together before you start cooking it and let it sit on the counter or in the fridge. Or you can add all the ingredients except for the liqueur right at the beginning of cook time.
Have more apricots and less raspberries? Don't worry. Just follow the same basic instructions. As long as your total amount of fruit is about the same, it will be fine. Or double all the ingredients and make even more!
I use 8 ounce glass canning jars but if you're not sharing, you could use a pint jar instead.
Be sure to skim off the foam that appears but don't throw it out. It's delicious on bread or in a smoothie or just by the spoonful.