This recipe for canned apricots uses a light syrup (or sauce) without loads of sugar to preserve fresh apricots and fill your pantry to enjoy all year.

It’s as easy as placing fresh apricots and sweet syrup in a jar, canning the jars in a water bath canner, and enjoying the harvest of your labor for months to come!

Why I Enjoy Canning Apricots

I enjoy dehydrated cherries and candied kumquats, but of the many different ways to preserve food, canning is one of my favorites.

Basic fruit canning is very simple. If you have been hesitant to start canning your own fruits and vegetables, this is a great place to start.

The high acidity in apricots makes them a safe fruit to water bath can. Water bath canning is known as the “gateway” to canning. It requires less monetary investment and is an easy skill to learn.

Plus, there is something incredibly satisfying about filling up your pantry with home-canned foods! A satisfaction you can’t get from store-bought items.

This recipe allows you to control the amount of sugar you add to the syrup.

Click here for my FREE fruit syrup canning chart.

Apricots hanging on a tree with the sun shining through the leaves.

Two Ways to Can Fruit

My method of choice is to pack raw, but there are varying opinions on this. I think it’s less messy, easier to pack the jars, and yields a firmer end result, which I prefer.

Raw Pack Method - Raw pack simply means putting the fresh fruit in the jars and pouring the hot water and sugar mixture over the fruit.
Hot Pack Method - The hot pack method is when the fruit is actually cooked with the syrup before pouring it into the jars.

For the following recipe, I will be sharing my method using the raw pack method.

Canned apricots in a jar on a linen napkin.

Preparation for Canned Apricots

Rinse the apricots with cold water in preparation for canning. Peeling them is optional. If you decide to peel them, read my tutorial on how to can pears. I include a peeling method that works well for peaches, pears, and apricots in that post.

Cut the apricots in half, remove the pit, and place them in jars. The apricots and syrup will cook together in the jar when using the raw pack method.

Pro-Tip: Place the apricots into the jars with the cut side down. This allows you to fit more apricots into the jar.

Empty jars with lids stacked on a counter.

Equipment Needed

Canning Jars - This recipe will yield approximately four 1-quart jars of fruit. If you are doubling the recipe, sterilize and prepare jars for the amount of fruit you have.
Lids and Rings - You will need the same amount of lids and rings as jars.
Water Bath Canner - If you don’t have a water bath canner, check out this steam canner, it works like a water bath but is much easier to use.
Jar Lifter - A jar lifter is essential for safety when removing hot jars from the canner. This handy kit includes other useful tools as well.
Wooden Spoon - I prefer using wooden spoons for canning purposes.
Stainless Steel Pan - This is used for boiling the water and sugar to make the syrup.
Hot Pads - Old kitchen towels will work as well, but you’ll need something to handle the hot jars and keep from burning your hands.
Bubble Remover - A knife, chopstick, or ruler will work for this step as well.

Ingredients Needed

Apricots - 9 pounds of apricots is just about perfect to fill your jars. Be sure to use fresh fruit without damage (or cut the blemishes off while cleaning).
Water - You'll need 6 cups of water. Apricots can be canned with only water and no sugar, but if you're looking for that traditional taste of canned apricots, you'll want to at least use a light syrup... we all need a little sweetness, don’t we?
Sugar - I like to use 2 cups of sugar for a nice light syrup, but this can be adjusted to your taste following my free downloadable syrup chart for canning fruit.

Click here for my FREE fruit syrup canning chart.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Canned Apricots

Prepare a hot water bath canner by filling it half way with warm water, placing rack inside, and setting on medium heat.
Have jars washed and rinsed in hot soapy water. Wide-mouth jars are the easiest to pack your apricots into.
In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar to a boil. After it comes to a boil, cover the pan, and turn off the burner since apricot canning goes so quickly.
Place apricots in the jar, cut side down, and fill to within ½ inch of rim of jar.
Pour hot syrup over apricots again allowing ½ inch of headspace.
Remove air bubbles by taking a chopstick, knife, or ruler and running it between the outside of the fruit and the inside of the jar. Re-check headspace and add more syrup if needed.
Wipe down the rim of the jar with a clean cloth, place lid and band on, and tighten to fingertip tight.
Place jars in the hot water bath canner. Carefully lower the filled jars into the water making sure the water level comes 1 inch above the top of the jars. Add more boiling water if necessary.
Bring water to a boil and begin the processing time only after water has reached a full boil. Cover with the lid and process pints for 25 minutes and quarts for 30 minutes. Turn off the burner and remove the lid. Wait 5 minutes, remove jars from the canner with a jar lifter, and place on a folded towel.
Allow to cool for 12 to 24 hours undisturbed.
Check seals, remove bands, wipe down jars to remove any sticky residue, and store for up to a year in your pantry.

📖 Recipe

How to Can Apricots- Easy Canned Apricots Recipe

Melissa Norris

This recipe for canning apricots uses a light syrup (or sauce) without loads of sugar to preserve fresh apricots and fill your pantry to enjoy all year.

3.94 from 30 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Course fruit

Cuisine American

Servings Servings

Calories 219 kcal

Equipment

▢
1 Water bath canner

Ingredients

▢ 9 pounds apricots rinsed and halved, approximately 2 and 1/4 pounds per quart jar
▢ 6 cups water
▢ 2 cups sugar more or less to taste, see my syrup canning chart

Instructions

Prepare hot water bath canner by filling 1/2 way with warm water, placing rack inside, and setting on medium heat. (Have extra boiling water ready in case it's needed in step 8.
Have jars washed and rinsed in hot soapy water, wide mouth are the easiest to pack your apricots in.
In a large saucepan bring 6 cups water and 2 cups sugar to a boil. (Once boiling, I cover and turn it off since apricot canning goes so fast.)
Place apricots in the jar, cut side down and fill to a 1/2 inch headspace.
Pour hot syrup over apricots leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles by taking a bubble remover, chopstick, knife, or ruler and running it between the outside of the fruit and the inside of the jar. Re-check headspace and add more syrup if needed.
Wipe down the rim of the jar, place lid and band on, and tighten to fingertip tight.
Lower jars into the canner and make sure the water level comes 1 inch above the top of the jars. Add more boiling water if necessary.
Bring water to a boil and begin processing time only after the water has reached a full boil. Cover and process pint jars for 25 minutes and quart jars for 30 minutes. (If using hot pack method, pints are 20 minutes and quarts are 25 minutes).
Turn off burner and remove lid. Wait 5 minutes and, using a jar lifter, remove jars from the canner and place on a folded towel. Allow jars to cool for 12 to 24 hours undisturbed.
Check seals, remove bands, wipe down jars to remove any sticky residue, and store in your pantry!

Notes

Placing apricots cut side down allows more to fit into the jars.
It's normal to see extra space at the bottom of the jars once canning is complete. Because we're cold packing the apricots, they will release water and become smaller as they're canned.
It's also normal for a little bit of the syrup to be siphoned out during the canning process. As long as your jars have a proper seal, the fruit is just fine! If more than 1/3 of the syrup is gone, allow that jar to cool to room temperature and place it in the refrigerator. Eat within a week.
To hot pack apricots - place prepared apricots and syrup in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Pack hot into jars and process in a water bath or steam canner and follow the instructions above.
Nutrition facts include apricots and syrup. One serving is 1/4 of a quart jar, or approximately 1 cup (with syrup).

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 661mgFiber: 5gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 4914IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg

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Category: Canning Recipes, Food Preservation, Food Preservation - Canning, Fruit, Jam and Jelly, Recipes, Staple Canning Recipes, Water Bath

About Melissa Norris

Melissa K. Norris inspires people's faith and pioneer roots with her books, podcast, and blog. Melissa lives with her husband and two children in their own little house in the big woods in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountains. When she's not wrangling chickens and cattle, you can find her stuffing Mason jars with homegrown food and playing with flour and sugar in the kitchen.