Easy Apricot Jam in Slow Cooker (Fail-proof, Homemade Canning)

Apricot jam in the slow cooker is a fail-proof way to preserve summer fruit with almost no stirring. You combine 1.5 kg apricots, 1 kg jam sugar with pectin, and the juice of one lemon, then cook on High for 3 hours, add apricot kernels, and finish on Low for 1 hour. It makes 5-6 sealed jars.

I made this with the first ripe apricots of the year. After two seasons when my apricot trees gave me nothing because of early spring frosts, I was finally blessed with an abundant harvest, so canning became a must.

Apricot jam is my favorite, right alongside peach and cherry jam. What pushed me to finally make a batch was a friend who served me a brilliant cheesecake topped with her own apricot jam. It was so good that I decided to make my own homemade version as soon as possible, this time letting the slow cooker do the work.

This Recipe Works If You Need

• A hands-off way to use up a big apricot harvest without standing at the stove
• Homemade jam you can store in the pantry all year round
• A vegan preserve made with simple, recognizable ingredients
• A jam with deeper flavor than the quick stovetop method
• A traditional recipe that uses the apricot kernels instead of wasting them

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Worry-free preparation: You add everything to the slow cooker and let the machine work, with no constant stirring and no risk of the jam burning.
• Saves time: While the jam cooks slowly and evenly, you can take care of other things knowing the jam is safe in the Crockpot.
• Even temperature: The slow cooker holds a steady, gentle heat that cooks the fruit evenly and prevents scorching.
• Deeper flavor: Slow cooking lets the apricot flavor develop fully, for a richer-tasting jam.
• Naturally vegan: Made with just apricots, jam sugar with pectin, lemon juice, and apricot kernels, so it fits a plant-based pantry.
• Reliable set: Jam sugar with built-in pectin and a squeeze of lemon help the jam thicken without fuss.

Ingredient Notes

Apricots: Use 1.5 kg of ripe but still firm apricots. Firm fruit holds its shape better during the long cook and gives the jam a nicer texture. Wash them, cut in half to remove the pits, then cut each half into 2-3 more slices before adding them to the slow cooker.

Jam sugar (with pectin): This recipe uses 1 kg of jam sugar that already contains pectin. The added pectin is what helps the jam thicken and set, which matters because slow-cooker jam tends to be a little softer than the stovetop version.

Lemon (juice only): The juice of one lemon adds brightness and acidity that balances the sweetness. The acidity also helps the pectin set the jam properly.

Apricot kernels: Crack open the pits from all the apricots you used and add the kernels to the jam. They lend a subtle almond-like taste that complements the fruit. They contain a compound called amygdalin, so use only the kernels from your batch and do not eat them in large quantities.

Tips

• Add the apricot kernels only after the first 3 hours on High, then finish on Low for 1 more hour so their flavor infuses gently.
• Sterilize 5-6 mason jars and lids while the jam cooks: wash with soapy water, place on a parchment-lined tray, heat at 150C (302F) for 20 minutes, then cool inside the oven with the door open.
• Ladle the jam into the jars while it is very hot, and keep the sterilized jars close to the slow cooker to make the transfer easier.
• Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth before sealing so the lids close cleanly and the jars seal properly.
• Let the jars cool at room temperature. The popping sound after a couple of hours means they are sealed and ready for the pantry.

Substitutions and Variations

• Skip the kernels: If you would rather not use apricot kernels, leave them out. The jam still works well, you just lose the subtle almond note.
• Regular sugar plus pectin: If you cannot find jam sugar with pectin, use regular sugar and add pectin separately, following the pectin package guidance to reach a good set.
• Other stone fruit: The same method works beautifully with peaches or cherries if you want to vary your jam collection.
• Firmer jam: For a firmer set, make the same recipe on the stovetop using identical ingredient quantities.

Storage and Make Ahead

Once the jars are sealed and fully cooled, store them in a cool, dark pantry where the jam keeps for months and lets you enjoy the taste of summer all year round. After opening a jar, keep it in the fridge and use it within a few weeks. Because the jars are sterilized and sealed hot, this jam is made to be prepared well ahead of when you plan to use it.

This jam is wonderfully versatile once you open a jar. Swirl it into a bowl of homemade vegan yogurt with probiotics, layer it over a slice of vegan vanilla cheesecake, or use it as a topping for banana nice cream. If you have more apricots to use up, this preserve is part of a wider set of vegan slow cooker recipes worth exploring.

Easy Slow Cooker Apricot Jam

A fail-proof vegan apricot jam made in the slow cooker with apricots, jam sugar with pectin, lemon juice, and apricot kernels. Almost no stirring, deep flavor, and 5-6 sealed jars for the pantry.

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Rate

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Choose Serving Size 5 mason jars

Ingredients 

• 1,5 kg apricots whole, ripe, but still firm
• 1 kg jam sugar with pectin
• 1 lemon juice only
• apricot kernels from all the apricots used for this jam

Instructions

• Wash the apricots well under cold running water.
• Cut each apricot in half, remove the pits, and set the pits aside.
• Cut each apricot half into 2-3 smaller slices.
• Add all the apricot slices to the slow cooker.
• Stir in the sugar and the lemon juice until the fruit is evenly coated.
• Turn the slow cooker on High and cook for 3 hours, until the apricots have softened and released their juices.
• Crack the reserved pits, extract the apricot kernels, and add them to the slow cooker.
• Switch the slow cooker to Low and cook for 1 more hour, until the jam has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
• In the meantime, wash and sterilize 5-6 mason jars and their lids. The process is simple: wash the jars and lids with soapy water, place them on an oven tray lined with a clean sheet of parchment paper, then put them in the oven at 150C (302F) for 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and let them cool inside with the oven door open.
• Once the jam is ready, turn off the slow cooker and set the oven tray with the sterilized jars next to it.
• Using a ladle, carefully pour the hot jam into each jar. Be careful, the jam is very hot.
• With a clean, damp cloth, wipe the jars of any spilled jam, especially around the rim. Cover with the lids and screw them on tightly.
• Leave the jars at room temperature to cool. Within a couple of hours you will hear a popping sound, which means the jars have sealed and are ready to be stored in your pantry.

Notes

Kernel safety: apricot kernels contain amygdalin, which releases small amounts of cyanide. Use only the kernels from the apricots in this batch, add them just for aroma, and do not eat them in large amounts. For a firmer set, make this jam on the stovetop instead, using the same ingredient quantities; the slow cooker gives a slightly softer-set jam.

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