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Home » Homemade Jam » French Style Apricot And Lavender Jam

French Style Apricot And Lavender Jam

Author: Karon Grieve Published : May 2014

Recipe
French apricot and lavender jam
French apricot and lavender jam
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 on croissant

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 for jam making

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.

jam making in copper pan

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 preserving? Then don’t panic, I can take you from zero to hero in no time at all.

Just check out these handy articles to get you heading in the right direction fast;

How to make great jam and marmalade

How to make cool curds

How to make great jelly

How to make chutney and relish

How to sterilise jars and bottles

Sticky situations – troubleshooting your preserves

Different types of preserves

My favourite preserving kit

ladling jam into jars

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.

spoonfuil of apricot jam by

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
French apricot jam in jar with spoon on top

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.
close up of croissant with jam on it

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.

larder links

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

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.

Photos And Tips AboveMost of my recipes have step by step photos and useful tips plus videos too, see above.
French style apricot and lavender jam by larderlove.com

French Style Apricot And Lavender Jam

Karon Grieve
A super tasty juicy
No ratings yet
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course preserves
Cuisine French
Servings 4 250ml jars
Calories 709 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 kg apricots fresh apricots
  • 1 tsp lavender dried lavender
  • 600 g preserving sugar
  • 1 lemon juice and zest
Metric – US Customary

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.

Notes

This apricot and lavender jam will keep for up to a year just store in the fridge once opened and use within a month

Nutrition

Calories: 709kcalCarbohydrates: 180gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 688mgFiber: 6gSugar: 173gVitamin A: 4825IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 1mg
My Top Tips*Always read the full recipe first. *Assemble all your ingredients and everything you need before you start. *For baking check the size of tins I’m using as this makes a big difference to your cakes. * I use medium sized eggs unless otherwise stated. * I use extra virgin olive oil unless otherwise stated. * I use unsalted butter unless otherwise stated. * Check out My Preserving Kit!
Tried this recipe?Mention @LarderLove or tag #LarderLove

 

Filed Under: ALL RECIPES, Homemade Jam, Summer

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Comments

  1. Traci says

    May 16, 2014 at 2:08 pm

    Anything with lavender always intrigues me. This sounds delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  2. Deb says

    July 26, 2015 at 2:27 am

    What is the volume or weight of the dried lavender flowers once removed from the four sprigs? I can get the dried flowers from my local health food store.

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      July 27, 2015 at 5:23 pm

      Hi Deb, the lavender flowers should make up approximately teaspoon.
      All best
      Kx

      Reply
  3. Michelle says

    August 13, 2017 at 7:01 pm

    Hi! Should the apricot/sugar/lavender mixture that sets overnight be refrigerated, or just left out at room temperature on the counter? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      August 24, 2017 at 9:43 am

      on counter is fine

      Reply
  4. Michelle says

    August 13, 2017 at 7:42 pm

    Hi again! Can you use regular sugar instead of preserving sugar? Also – can you use fresh lavender? I have some growing in my herb garden, but have not dried any yet. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      August 24, 2017 at 9:42 am

      yes any sugar use a little bit more lavender as when dried flavour is more concentrated

      Reply
  5. jen says

    August 5, 2019 at 10:00 pm

    Hi Karen,

    This recipe looks delicious! I bought some apricot and lavender jam during my last visit to France and it is now my favorite. One question is do the apricot need to be peeled prior to chopping them up?

    Thanks!
    Jen

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      August 7, 2019 at 8:23 am

      Hi Jen
      Peel them first.
      Hope you enjoy the jam
      k x

      Reply
  6. Jan says

    November 7, 2020 at 3:29 pm

    Could you use dried apricots to make this?

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      November 8, 2020 at 10:47 am

      Hi Jan
      I have just put a new recipe for dried apricot jam on the blog this week. It’s on the front page.
      K

      Reply

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