How to Make Apricot Jam in Canada (Bernardin Method)

Apricot jam is the early-August preserve that captures the all-too-short Okanagan apricot season. Apricots are at peak for about three weeks; a batch of jam locks in their golden colour and unique sweet-tart flavour for the year.

This guide covers the Bernardin water-bath method. The processing time is the standard Bernardin time; verify against your edition.

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Pick your apricots

Best for jam

• Okanagan-grown — BC commercial varieties (Goldcot, Harlayne, Skaha, Stark Early Orange). Mid-July to mid-August.
• Niagara-grown — Ontario varieties (Goldcot, Veecot, Harogem). Late July to mid-August.
• Backyard apricots — zones 5-7 across southern Canada produce apricots; usually slightly smaller and more tart than commercial.

Ripeness

You want apricots fragrant and slightly soft but not mushy. The skin should be golden-orange with a faint blush of pink, and the fruit should yield very slightly to gentle pressure.

• Too firm: under-ripe; let sit on counter for 1-2 days to ripen
• Too soft: over-ripe; use immediately; they’re better for jam than fresh eating
• Brown spots: trim out; smaller blemishes are fine for jam

Don’t use

• Dried apricots — entirely different product; needs different recipes
• Underripe apricots — won’t develop full flavour during cooking
• Bruised apricots beyond minor spots — trim or discard
• Imported supermarket apricots in winter — picked underripe, never ripened properly

You need about 1.5 kg of apricots (5 cups prepared) for a 6-jar batch.

What you need

For 6 × 250 mL jars:

• 1.5 kg fresh ripe apricots (5 cups halved, pitted, chopped)
• 5 cups granulated sugar (with pectin path) OR 4.5 cups (no-pectin)
• 4 tbsp bottled lemon juice — non-negotiable
• 1 box Bernardin Original powdered pectin OR 1 pouch Certo liquid pectin (Path A)
• Optional: ½ tsp butter to reduce foam
• Bernardin 250 mL regular-mouth jars, fresh SNAP lids, bands
• Standard canning kit — jar lifter, headspace tool, funnel, water-bath canner, ladle, large heavy pot, paring knife
• Frozen plates for cold-plate test (no-pectin path)

Method (Path A: With commercial pectin — most reliable)

Step 1: Prep apricots

1. Wash apricots under cool water; pat dry.
2. Halve each apricot along the natural seam.
3. Twist halves apart; pit comes out cleanly on freestones.
4. Chop halves into ¼-inch pieces. Leave skins on (or peel via blanch-and-shock if you want smoother jam).
5. Measure — should be about 5 cups chopped.

Step 2: Combine

1. Stir chopped apricots + 4 tbsp bottled lemon juice + 1 box Bernardin Original pectin + optional ½ tsp butter in heavy pot.
2. Stir constantly over high heat.

Step 3: Boil and add sugar

1. Bring to a full rolling boil — one that can’t be stirred down.
2. Add all 5 cups sugar at once, stirring vigorously.
3. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute exactly.
4. Remove from heat, skim foam.

For Certo liquid pectin: combine apricots + sugar + lemon juice. Bring to rolling boil. Add the entire pouch of Certo. Return to rolling boil; boil 1 minute. Remove.

Step 4: Jar and process

1. Have your water-bath canner simmering.
2. Have hot jars ready, fresh SNAP lids on the counter.
3. Ladle hot jam into hot jars through a funnel. Leave 6 mm (¼ inch) headspace.
4. Run the headspace tool down each jar to release bubbles.
5. Wipe rims. Apply lids fingertip-tight.
6. Process 10 minutes at sea level (verify with Bernardin edition).
7. Adjust for altitude per our altitude article. The Okanagan is at 300-500 m altitude — most BC home canners need 5 extra minutes.
8. Cool 12-24 hours undisturbed.
9. Check seals. Label, store.

If a jar doesn’t seal: the 24-hour rule applies.

Method (Path B: Without commercial pectin)

1. Combine 5 cups chopped apricots + 4.5 cups sugar + 4 tbsp lemon juice.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
3. Boil 25-30 minutes, stirring more as it thickens.
4. Cold-plate test at 25 minutes:
   • Drop ½ tsp on a frozen plate
   • Wait 1 minute; push edge — wrinkles + holds shape = done
5. Jar and process as above.

Yield slightly lower; softer set; deeper caramelized colour.

Storage

• Cool, dark, dry place at room temperature
• Best quality 18-24 months
• After opening: refrigerate, use within 3-4 weeks
• Inspect before opening — apricot jam holds golden-orange colour well; significant darkening means oxidation (safe, less attractive)

Variations

Apricot-vanilla jam

Split 1 vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into the cook, drop pod in. Remove pod before jarring. Excellent for gift jars.

Apricot-almond jam

Stir in ¼ tsp pure almond extract at the end (off heat). The apricot-almond pairing is the basis of classic European desserts.

Apricot-ginger jam

Add 2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger to the apricots at the start. Warm, slightly spicy.

Apricot-cardamom jam

Add 4-5 lightly crushed green cardamom pods (remove before jarring). Indian-influenced.

Apricot-orange jam

Add zest of 1 orange to the cook. Citrus brightens the apricot.

Apricot-rosemary jam (savoury)

Add 1 sprig fresh rosemary to the cook (remove before jarring). Pair with cheese or roast chicken.

Apricot-amaretto jam (refrigerator only)

Stir in 2 tbsp amaretto at the end. Don’t water-bath can — alcohol behavior not Bernardin-tested. Fridge or gift jars only.

Apricot preserves (chunky)

Don’t chop as fine — leave apricot halves intact. Result is whole halves suspended in jam-set syrup. Beautiful but takes a bit longer to set.

Apricot-rhubarb jam

3 cups apricots + 2 cups chopped rhubarb. Rhubarb extends the apricot harvest if you have garden rhubarb still going in late July.

How to use apricot jam

• On toast or scones — classic breakfast
• Filling for thumbprint cookies and danish pastries
• Glaze for roast chicken, pork tenderloin, ham — brush in the last 15 minutes
• Cheese pairing — brie, camembert, aged cheddar, blue cheese
• Stirred into yogurt or oatmeal
• Over vanilla ice cream
• In linzer cookies — apricot is the traditional filling
• As a sandwich filler with cream cheese
• For Sachertorte-style cakes — brush between layers
• In crepe filling with cream
• Holiday gift — golden colour is festive

Common problems

• Jam didn’t set. Apricots are moderate-pectin; commercial pectin gives reliable set. See why didn’t my jam set for salvage paths.
• Jam too firm/gummy. Over-cooked. Warm with 1 tsp water to loosen.
• Foam stayed in. Skim better; use ½ tsp butter trick.
• Jam tastes bland. Skipped lemon juice. Add 1 tbsp per cup and reboil briefly.
• Apricot pieces floated to top. Stir mid-jarring or let jam cool 5 minutes before ladling.
• Brown spots in jam. Apricot bruises went in. Trim more carefully next batch.
• Skins are chewy. Either tough-skinned variety or apricots were old. Peel via blanch-and-shock next time.
• Jar didn’t seal. The 24-hour rule.
• Colour faded after months. Light exposure. Store in dark.

Yield expectations

• 1.5 kg apricots → 6-7 × 250 mL jars (pectin path)
• 1.5 kg apricots → 5 × 250 mL jars (no-pectin path)
• A typical Canadian household makes 6-12 × 250 mL jars per season

Why home apricot jam is worth making

• Best apricot flavour you’ll taste — peak Okanagan or Niagara fruit captured at its best
• Cheap when local — apricots are $3-5 per pound at peak; 1.5 kg makes 6 jars
• Excellent gift — golden colour, distinctive flavour
• Better than commercial — supermarket apricot jam is over-sweet and pale
• Heritage Canadian — Okanagan apricot canning has been a BC family tradition for over a century

Bonus: freeze apricots for off-season jam

Apricots freeze well for later jam-making:

1. Halve and pit ripe apricots.
2. Tray-freeze pieces on parchment-lined sheets for 2-4 hours.
3. Transfer to freezer bags; press out air.
4. Use directly from frozen for jam in January or February.

A 5 kg apricot purchase at peak yields 2-3 jam sessions, each producing 6 jars.

Next steps

• How to make peach jam in Canada — companion stone-fruit jam
• How to make plum jam in Canada — same season, same Okanagan/Niagara regions
• How to make strawberry jam in Canada — gateway recipe
• How to make sour cherry jam in Canada — distinctive stone-fruit jam
• How to freeze berries in Canada — same tray-freeze method for apricots
• Why didn’t my jam set — troubleshooting
• Canning altitude adjustments — required reading
• Water-bath canning pillar — broader method