How to Make Apricot Nectar

October 08, 2014 The Provident Princess 0 Comments

 The area where I live had a bumper crop of apricots this year and I was trying so hard to find something to make with them but all I could think of was apricot jam, fruit leather and dried apricots. We don't really go through that much jam and unfortunately I'd just bought a ton of dried apricots so didn't feel like making an more.

Luckily, one day found me at the house of an acquaintance when they were making Apricot Nectar and I had a flash back of how much I'd loved that stuff.

So I went right out and found some neighbors who didn't want their apricots. (I am the Provident Princess of course and nothing is more provident than free!)

Canning is always much more fun when you have help so my friend and I recruited our daughters for some of the grunt labor and got to work.

We washed, halved, and boiled the apricots in a little water for about 10 minutes. (you do not have to remove the skin.) We then used a juicer to run the apricots through and what came out was a nice, thick, nectar. 

NOTE: if you don't have a juicer you could use a high powered blender, sieve or foodmill to run the softened apricots through.

We sweetened each batch by juicing some pineapple (fresh or canned is fine) and honey. 

Ladled the nectar into jars and processed in a water bath canner for 20 minutes for pints and quarts.

15 min for sea level-1000ft

20 min for 1001-3000 ft

20 min for 3001-6000 ft

25 min for anything above 6000 ft.

We ended up making over 50 quarts! My family is loving it but surprisingly the way my girls like it most is warmed up a little. That is the way they first tasted it as we were cooking it all.