French Style Apricot And Lavender Jam

I make jam all the time but this French style apricot and lavender jam is my all time favourite. With the sweet juiciness of apricots and the light and gentle floral taste of the lavender  it will transport you to France with every bite.

French style apricot and lavender jam

Here I am in France enjoying sunshine, rose wine, catching up with friends and sampling the local cuisine. I thought I’d share one of my all time favourite preserve recipes and something that I always think of as quintessentially French. My apricot and lavender jam.

Apricots mean summer

Apricots to me are summer sunshine. The fresh fruit has a plumpness that promises abundant juice and a sweetness that rarely fails to lift the heart and make me smile. Their colour brings to mind the heat of summer. A shimmer in the air, something familiar and yet longed for.

French favourite

Apricot jam is one of the most popular preserves in France. The Bon Mamon preserve company ships this sticky golden delight worldwide in its distinctive gingham printed jars.

This has always been my jam of choice to herald the new day on toast or croissants. And when I realised how much of the stuff I went through I decided I should start making my own. That was a good few years ago and over the years I have adapted my recipe a bit here and there.

French style jam making

I have titled this as French style apricot and lavender jam as I’ve used the French method for making this gorgeously sticky confection. Basically you put the fruit and lavender into a bowl and add the sugar, cover it and leave it overnight. The sugar will draw out all that fabulous juice and flavour from the apricots. This leads to a better jam all round. It really is well worth taking this one extra little step in jam making.

New to jam making? Then don’t worry I’ve got you covered. Check out these simple articles that will take you from zero to hero in the preserving stakes no trouble at all.

How to make great jam

Perfect preserving kit

How to sterilise jars

Sticky situations – trouble shooting preserves

Extra jam flavour

Add lavender

My favourite addition being dried lavender flowers to give that extra special perfumed lift to something that is already floating joyously in the higher echelons of the preserve world. Don’t go mad on the lavender though. It has a strong flavour and can leave things tasting like soap if you over do it!

Apricot stones/pits

The apricot stones/pits add extra flavour to this delightful jam. It is a French tradition to use all of the fruit including the pits when it comes to apricot jam. These stones have a distinct almond flavour when they are cracked open. Once you have removed the stones/pits from the apricots put them in a bag and smash with a hammer/rolling pin to break the shells. Then simply pop them into a little muslin bag and chuck this into the jam pot with the other ingredients.

Apricot and Lavender Jam

Ingredients for apricot and lavender jam

• 1 kilo/2 lb 4 oz fresh ripe apricots
• 4 sprigs of dried lavender
• 600g/1 lb 6 oz preserving sugar
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

How to make apricot and lavender jam

• Chop and stone (remove the apricot pits) the fruit, but don’t discard the stones/pits as they are full of flavour.
• Place the stones on a chopping board and with the flat side of a heavy knife really press down on them to break open the shells. Inside you will find the kernel of the fruit which holds great flavour. Tie up these kernals in a little piece of muslin so they don’t get to roam free within the jam and cause a dental hazard at a later date and then toss the little muslin packet into your jam pan with the rest of the ingredients when you start your cooking process.
• I like to let my apricots soak up the sugar and lavender before I cook them. This is very much the French way of preserving and it allows the sugar to draw out all the juice and flavour from the fruit. If you have time let the fruit, lavender and sugar sit in a bowl or pan overnight just covered with a clean tea towel.
• Make sure you have just used the tiny buds of the lavender and not the whole stalks. Do not be tempted to add more and more lavender as this delicate little flower packs a bit of a punch in the flavour department and a little goes a long way. Overdo it and you could end up with something too heavily fragranced and flavoured that smells more suitable for the bathroom than the kitchen table!
• Next day add the lemon zest and juice and slowly heat your fruit mixture along with the little muslin bag of kernals.
• The sugar will dissolve quite quickly as it has been soaking in the fruit juices overnight.
• Keep the jam on a moderate heat until the apricots are tender and then raise the temperature to a hard boil until you have reached the setting point. Use a thermometer or a chilled saucer to check the set. See my Jam making page for full information on this.
• Remove pan from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes to settle before carefully spooning into sterilised jars.

How much jam does this make?

You should get 4 x 250ml jars from this recipe.

How long will it keep?

This apricot and lavender jam will keep for up to a year. Store in a cool dark place. Once opened store in fridge and use within a couple of weeks.

For me this jam really is the taste of France, once tasted, never forgotten.

How to serve this jam

This French style apricot and lavender jam is perfect on your morning croissants or toast of course. But try spreading it on to a sponge cake and adding Chantilly cream for a really lovely Victoria sponge. Spoon it on to your morning yogurt or add to really good quality vanilla ice cream for a quick and easy dessert.

Looking for more super easy jam recipes? Then check these out before you go;

Raspberry peach and elderflower jam

Strawberry and redcurrant jam

Peach and pistachio jam

Strawberry and tomato jam

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Print Recipe

French Style Apricot And Lavender Jam

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: preserves

Servings: 4 250ml jars

Author: Karon Grieve

Ingredients

• 1 kilo/2 lb 4oz fresh apricots
• 4 sprigs dried lavender
• 600 g/1lb 6oz preserving sugar
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

• Chop and stone the fruit, but don’t discard the stones as they are full of flavour.
• Place the stones on a chopping board and with the flat side of a heavy knife really press down on them to break open the shells. Inside you will find the kernel of the fruit which holds great flavour. Tie up these kernals in a little piece of muslin so they don’t get to roam free within the jam and cause a dental hazard at a later date and then toss the little muslin packet into your jam pan with the rest of the ingredients when you start your cooking process.
• I like to let my apricots soak up the sugar and lavender before I cook them, this is very much the French way of preserving and it allows the sugar to draw out all the juice and flavour from the fruit. If you have time let the fruit, lavender and sugar sit in a bowl or pan overnight just covered with a clean tea towel. Make sure you have just used the tiny buds of the lavender and not the whole stalks. Do not be tempted to add more and more lavender as this delicate little flower packs a bit of a punch in the flavour department and a little goes a long way. Overdo it and you could end up with something too heavily fragranced and flavoured that smells more suitable for the bathroom than the kitchen table!
• Next day add the lemon zest and juice and slowly heat your fruit mixture along with the little muslin bag of kernals.
• The sugar will dissolve quite quickly as it has been soaking in the fruit juices overnight.
• Keep the jam on a moderate heat until the apricots are tender and then raise the temperature to a hard boil until you have reached the setting point. Use a thermometer or a chilled saucer to check the set. See my Jam making page for full information on this.
• Remove pan from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes to settle before carefully spooning into sterilised jars.