Apricot Rose Jam + a Wedding

I somehow missed the 3-year anniversary of my blog.

I’m still distracted.

Here’s the thing, I’m planning a wedding—my wedding! Yes, dear reader, Bryan is finally making an honest man out of me (eww, that joke kind of creeped me out). Remember when we went to Massachusetts back in July? Well, we got married on a beautiful summer day under an old tree in Salem. Just the two of us.

But we weren’t content with it being just the two of us. We think these things need to be celebrated and so we’ve been planning a wedding celebration to bring together many of our closest friends and family for a fun weekend.

Anyone who has ever planned a wedding, large or small, knows that they can take over your life. It is silly at times, but you really want to show everyone a good time. Also, I like planning things—especially when they involve food and dancing.  So, I find myself distracted.

I don’t know why this hasn’t come up until now. I guess it doesn’t have much to do with cooking and I worry about over-sharing. But as I look forward to the next few weeks, which include not only a wedding celebration but also a honeymoon trip (London and Paris!),  I realize that I’ll be disappearing for a bit. When you don’t get updates from me, know that it is because I am celebrating and traveling and feeling so incredibly fortunate for all of this good stuff. And when I get back, I’ll share some pictures, some notes from my travels, and I will be excited to tackle autumn cooking with all of you.

And happy anniversary to all of us! This site would be nothing without you, and I am so glad you choose to visit and share your own kitchen stories and ideas with me. I can’t wait for another year. Oh, and there is a recipe, even if it is a little out of season:

This recipe for apricot rose jam deserves more than the few lines I am about to devote to it, but better than nothing. I became a jam maker this summer. It started because I wanted to include a small jar of jam in the wedding invitations, but I caught some sort of preserving fever (it might have something to do with the copper jam pot I purchased). I’ve gotten quite good and will hopefully do a better job of writing about it next summer.

This is one of the best things I made all summer. Apricot Rose! Bookmark this recipe for when apricots return to us. Amazing, and a great way to celebrate 3 years of blogging.

Apricot-Rose Jam (from The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders)

  • 5 1/4 pounds pitted and quartered apricots, pits reserved
  • 2 1/4 pounds white cane sugar
  • 3 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 to 3 small splashes of rose water

DAY 1

In a glass or hard plastic storage container, combine the apricots with the sugar and lemon juice. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture, smoothing well to eliminate air bubbles. Cover the mixture tightly with a lid and let macerate in the refrigerator overnight.

DAY 2

Place a saucer and five metal spoons in a flat place in your freezer for testing the jam later.

Place several apricot pits on the floor between two, old clean cloths and, using a hammer, tap them through the top cloth until they crack.  Carefully remove the almond-like kernel from each pit, discarding the shells, until you have enough to make 1 heaping tablespoon chopped. Place the chopped kernels into a fine-mesh stainless-steel tea infuser with a firm latch and set aside.

Remove the apricots from the refrigerator and transfer them to an 11 or 12 quart copper preserving pan or a wide non-reactive kettle. Place the tea infuser into the mixture, pressing down on it to submerge it.

Bring the apricot mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently with a large heatproof rubber spatula. Boil, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and, using a large stainless-steel spoon, skim the stiff foam from the top of the mixture and discard. Return the jam to a boil, then decrease the heat slightly. Continue to cook, monitoring the heat closely, until the jam thickens, about 30 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan often with your spatula, and decrease the heat gradually as more and more moisture cooks out of the jam. For the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, stir the jam slowly and steadily to keep it from scorching.

When the jam has thickened, test it for doneness. To test, carefully transfer a small representative half teaspoonful of jam to one of your frozen spoons. Replace the spoon in the freezer for 3 to 4 minutes. Tilt the spoon vertically to see how quickly the jam runs. If it runs very slowly and has thickened to a gloopy consistency, it is done. If it runs quickly or appears watery, cook it for a another few minutes before testing again.

Turn off the heat, but do not stir. Remove the tea ball of kernels. Using a stainless-steel soup spoon, skim all of the remaining foam and discard.Pour a small splash of rose water into the jam, stir well and carefully taste. Add more rose water judiciously, tasting carefully as you go, until the rose flavor is present, but not overpowering. Pour the jam into sterilized jars and process according to manufacturers instructions.

101 comments to “Apricot Rose Jam + a Wedding”

  1. Congratulations!! How lovely! Enjoy your time off.

    And thanks for having this blog around for so long. I know I’m new-ish reader but I’m glad it’s around. :D

  2. Congratulations! May you a long and happy life together! xo

  3. Congratulations! Cheers!

    I am so stoked for you two. Enjoy your vacation and may there be many more in your long future. I look forward to more great recipes as well!

    Thank you for sharing!

  4. Congratulations! We’ll miss you while you’re gone. Have an amazing time!

  5. Warmest of congratulations to you both, and happy honeymooning! Thank you for sharing your life and love with us.

  6. YAYYYY!!!! Congrats Tim + Bryan! You deserve all the happiness in the world :)

  7. Congratulations, Tim!! Have a lovely honeymoon. I love your blog and this jam looks amazing! including the kernels in the jam is brilliant – i always feel bad about not using them!

  8. thanks, friends! you’re the best.

  9. Congratulations! I’m new to the blog, so I’ll spend your time away in the archives, and dreaming of apricot season again. Have a wonderful celebration!

  10. mazel tov! enjoy the magic of the next days and weeks…hooray for love.

  11. Why haven’t you said anything until now?! SO jubilant for you. Sending happy, happy vibes from out East, Tim.

  12. Happy anniversary and more than that, congrats on your marriage! I can’t wait to hear all the details about your celebration and your fabulous honeymoon.

  13. Congratulations!! :)

  14. Mazal Tov! On the anniversary and the wedding! Enjoy the special day and have a wonderful time on your H-Moon. All the best.

  15. Congratulations! There was a time when people talking of their own wedding planning would induce eye rolling (oh to be young again…), but finding myself in your shoes, I light up when I hear the word “wedding”! I hope your party is everything you want it to be and more.

  16. Felicitades! Congratulations! Have such an enjoyable time. Cheers to you and your lucky man.

  17. Congratulations Tim! I am sure your wedding will be fun and exciting. I dread the idea of organising one… One of the main reasons why we haven’t got married so far :) But I love that you get a big party with your friends, and food, and dancing, and even a honeymoon! Have fun in Europe!!

  18. Congratulations!! I hope you have a wonderful celebration and an equally wonderful honeymoon :)

  19. Congratulations!

    This recipe looks delicious – I love the sound of the combo ♥

  20. What an exciting post!

    Congratulations! Enjoy the celebration, the food, and the dancing!

    And, I’ll certainly bookmark this recipe for next apricot season. Canning is addictive, don’t you think?

  21. Congratulations on your wedding and your anniversary! Jars of jam make excellent wedding favors! I went to a Canadian-Swedish wedding a few years back where the mothers of both bride and groom made jam from regional berries. It was an excellent tribute to the happy couple, I thought.

  22. w-o-w…fabulous news…may you & bryan walk in sunshine & share magical moments.
    kudos on L + D anniversary as well!

  23. Congratulations! And that jam looks quite divine.

  24. brandi, me too! and even still try to remember to roll my eyes at myself occasionally. we should talk weddings!
    thanks for all of these warm wishes, everyone!

  25. Congratulations on your marriage. What a fun time of your life. Enjoy the celebration and your trip to Europe. We’ll miss your blogging to be sure.

    The jam looks really tasty. I’m a Penn State Master Food Preserver and if you email me later when you’re back and have time, I’ll be happy to point you to some resources so you can safely preserve foods. It can be some of your winter reading.

  26. Hi Louise! Yes, I would love to learn more. I’ll be in touch.

  27. Warmest wishes for a many wonderful years together! I will be on the edge of my chair waiting for honeymoon photos. Enjoy your trip to the fullest because you can rest when you come home! ; )

  28. Congratulations!! Can’t wait to see your honeymoon pictures! My fiancee and I will be going to Paris for our honeymoon!

  29. I wish you both congratulations! How exciting! And I love that you will be giving your guests jam.

  30. CONGRATS!!!! I’m so very happy for you Tim :)

    Enjoy that Honeymoon and come back with pictures and stories!

  31. Congratulations, and thank YOU for providing us with such wonderful recipes and stories!

  32. Congratulations, and best of luck with the remaining planning! My wedding is just two and a half weeks away, so I totally hear you about being a bit distracted and finding the planning process to be a bit consuming. Have a wonderful time celebrating and honeymooning!

  33. Congratulations! I have read your blog for so long now and have never commented, but this inspired me. So happy for you both.

  34. Congrats to you both! My husband and I had a City Hall wedding, followed by lunch with our freelancer friends at Blackbird. I was so intent on having a croquet-party-and-picnic wedding at our weekend farmhouse once the weather warmed up, that it didn’t occur to me to invite people who would normally work on a Friday. But almost three years later we haven’t done that. You’ve inspired me to get planning for next summer, which basically means finishing the house projects and thinking about which jam to give as party favors!

  35. How very lovely, Tim. Best wishes to you and Brian.

    It was a year ago now that I was planning my own wedding, so I can completly feel your joy, excitement and stress! Such a fun and wonderful time! My blog is full of referrences to our Big Day; don’t worry about the overshare… we love you and Brian!!!

    Canning for your wedding is the new Jordan almond, apparently! I made Balsamic Thyme Fig jam for our little favors, and they were a success. (Blogged all about it, if your readers have an interest in the recipe.

    I’m thinking of you, and sending you happy, positive energy!

  36. Congrats!

  37. Huge congratulations to you both! So excited for all of your adventures!

  38. Congratulations to the both of you. Hope you have a blast on your honeymoon.
    The jam and the copper pot look awesome. What kind of pot did you get anyway?

  39. Congratulations and good luck with the final celebration plans! What a great looking jam, and a great looking pot :) Enjoy the next few weeks and looking forward to hearing about it when you get back!

  40. CONGRATULATIONS! What exciting news. Good luck with everything. Will we be seeing any pictures of the big day??

  41. Big congrats! Have a wonderful time.

  42. TIM! Congratulations….I’m so, so happy for you and Bryan. Hooooorrray for love!

  43. Thank, everyone, for all of these warm wishes! Yes, I’ll share some pics and some stories.
    Katie- I bought a Mauviel copper jam pot, which was very expensive. At first I worried it would be like the treadmill that people buy to lose weight but it just becomes a clothes rack. I can happily say I have used the pot it a lot and it makes the jam making experience SO good.

  44. So excited for you two! Enjoy this special time–many blessings! -C

  45. Congratulations to you both. Have a wonderful week with your families and we will raise a large glass to you all in Chicago. Celebrate, and I will make that jam. (I have some rose water, so that is a good start) I know a very excited person in London who is looking forward to seeing you both. Safe travels and have a wonderful healthy, happy life together. Hugs and love xxxx

  46. I’ll be making jam today, and wishing I had that gorgeous copper pot for my raspberries & figs. So happy for you and Bryan! Cannot wait to see photos from your travels. Enjoy every second, and don’t give a moment’s thought to the blog… we’ll be here when you get back. :) All the best! xoxo

  47. Congratulations!! London & Paris–so jealous!

  48. love! xx

  49. …Congratulations to you both! Such wonderful news! :o)

    …I love weddings and I love that you had a simple ceremony in Salem, Mass., but I too agree that you have to include family & friends to make it ‘official’. :o) My husband and I got married at a historic courthouse in beautiful Hermann, Missouri; the heart of Missouri wine country. Back then I had longed for a formal church wedding but now I’m so glad that we opted for a small intimate ceremony just with a small gathering of friends and family.

    …I wish you both nothing but the best that life has to offer! :o)

    …Many blessings

  50. …Oh, I’m so tickled about the wedding that I forgot to say just how much I LOVE that copper pot! Gorgeous!

    …And I will definitely have to put this recipe in my preserves archive for next year, it looks and sounds delish’! Just the photo of the copper pot with the remnants of jam left on the bottom makes me drool! Thank you for the recipe! :o)

  51. Congratulations to you both. May you laugh together often and forever.

  52. I love how relaxed and nonchalant you seem about it all! I just got married (and did jam as favors for 170 guests- yikes) and the DIY aspect threatened to take over my life. I like to think it was all worth it when guests commented on how they loved all the personal touches, but it sure got hairy at the end. Just enjoy and don’t let it get out of hand like I did. :) Most of all, though- cheers and congrats from one newlywed to another.

    Oh, and I have a copper jam pot similar to yours on my registry- I’m holding out hope that I may still receive it from one of the stragglers… (hey, I can dream!)

  53. Warmest congratulations and thank you for sharing your exciting, happy news! So great :)

  54. How exciting! Congrats!!!

  55. Congratulations to both of you!

  56. Congratulations to you both!!!! Best wishes for a life of happiness together!!!

  57. ex-Montrealer says:

    September 28th, 2011 at 2:57 am

    Mazel Tov from me too. Today is “erev Rosh Hashanah” –the eve of Rosh Hashanah–which ushers in a “sweet” Jewish New Year. Your posting is so timely, Tim! You will have a “sweet New Year” with the jam and on your honeymoon. I am so happy for both you and Bryan; the wedding could not have happened to a sweeter couple. (I’m just overflowing with “sweetness” references, aren’t I? :>))
    I am very happy for both of you. I was missing reading your blog. Getting married is a great reason to have taken some much-needed time away from all of us. Congratulations, again!

  58. Congrats! expecting beautiful pictures of the events ;) BTW, I think I will now jump on the jam bandwagon.

  59. congrats to you both! have an amazing celebration and trip!

  60. Congratulations – so happy for you and Bryan!!

  61. Oh Tim – sending so much love your way! So Rad!

    and Jam! You are a too cool! Love that last image!

  62. So many reasons to celebrate! Wishing you and Bryan the very best.

  63. thanks everyone, for the continued good wishes. you guys are the best!

  64. Congratulations to you and Bryan!!!!! Very happy wishes to you for the wedding and honeymoon, and here’s to many more years! (Of wedded bliss, I meant. Although many more years of food blogging is exciting, too : )

  65. My very best wishes to you and Bryan! Wishing you a wonderful and long life together full of good food! BTW I had my BEST dinner the other nite: Tomato Pasta with Caramel Cake for dessert! Thanks you for the inspiration and great recipes.

  66. That is so romantic. I hope I have that adventure some day. I was talking about making the apricot jam, but yes…. (goes into deep thought)

  67. How lovely Tim, congratulations!

  68. Patty McEnaney says:

    September 29th, 2011 at 1:28 pm

    On this dreary day, what lovely news. Much happiness to you and Bryan. Your love of food and humor (and Bryan) should make for a lovely marriage. You must think about how to use the OP Farmer’s Market donuts with your jam. Oh, the possibilities!

  69. lovely jam ,but don’t the kernels have arsenic in them?

  70. Warmest best wishes to both of you! Marriage is a lot of work and totally worth it. I hope you both will enjoy evolving together and giving and accepting loving confidence in each other.

  71. Mazel tov on the impending nuptials, and best wishes for a sweet lifetime together! Of course you’ll have a great time in London & Paris. My advice: bring an extra suitcase. I was in London a few months ago & came back laden with British cookbooks. Are you going to the Borough Street Market? Neil’s Yard Dairy? Even the standard Waitrose supermarkets have cool stuff. Seventeen years ago, my husband and & I ate our way thru France for our honeymoon (using Patricia Wells’ Foodlover’s Guides to Paris & to France, which, sadly, would be years out of date now. (The Paris book had the coolest guide to eating organized by Metro stop.) My husband ate Berthillon ice cream for breakfast & snacked on giant loaves of pain Poilane (tucked under his arm) while walking thru Paris. I bought copper pots from Dehilleron and French bread-baking baskets, pastry rings, & edible gold leaf from MORA. You’ll have such a good time. Just remember to come back and blog about it!

  72. thanks all for these continued wishes, it sure is making me happy!
    ann, the kernels do have arsenic in them, but pretty small amounts. the amount in the jam is safe, but if you are uncomfortable using it, feel free to omit.

  73. Happy third, Tim! And congratulations on the wedding. So happy for you!

  74. Carollina! You just got me really excited for the trip! So much energy goes into the wedding that I sometimes forget we have this amazing trip ahead of us. I’ll let you know what I find and am already planning on bringing an empty suitcase! xo

  75. Congratulations Tim!!! I’m so happy for the both of you and I’m such a sucker for weddings. I LOVED planning out my own wedding and loved having good friends and family drink and eat and dance, cuz really how often does that happen? As for the jam, I made some apricot jam this summer too and while not a huge fan of apricots, I loved the jam. This one looks gorgeous, as always.

  76. Sivan Harlap says:

    September 30th, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    Happy Anniversary Tim and Mazal Tov to both you and Brian!! Enjoy that honeymoon!! xoxo

  77. Sivan Harlap says:

    September 30th, 2011 at 4:33 pm

    Oh! and you must go to my most favorite restaurant in London (there are 4 locations, I like the Islington one) – Ottolenghi! I’m sure you will love it! they have a new joint called Nopi, I haven’t been but I’m sure it’s also killer! canela is lovely, too!

  78. Sivan Harlap says:

    September 30th, 2011 at 4:37 pm

  79. I can’t wait to be with the two of you today to celebrate your wedding!!!!

  80. Mazel tov, Tim! I am so happy for you and Bryan. Hope your celebrations are wonderful and your honeymoon travels romantic and inspiring. I have followed your blog for a long time without posting a comment, but I wanted to you know a) you have been a real cooking inspiration to me; and b) that even a stranger shares in your joy.

  81. CONGRATULATIONS TIM and BRYAN! I am so happy for both of you. Sending you much love and wishing you safe and happy travels on your honey moon!

  82. You’re coming to Paris! I’ve just moved here and having such a blast.

  83. This looks amazing, you sound amazing and your website is amazing!!! I can’t wait to try this and about a million of your other recipes. So I am glad you are going on a little break–it will give me a chance to go through the archives. : ) Congrats on every level! We eloped too–you are bold to go back and plan a celebration—love every minute…! Warm wishes to you both…!

  84. Mazel tov! Getting married AND travelling to Paris and London? What a lucky guy!

  85. congratulations!!! I hope the wedding was everything you’ve always wanted and more.

    cannot wait for the next update WITH photos of it all!!

    xo

  86. Congrats for completing 3 successful years as blogger.My cooking has improved from the time i started reading your posts.

  87. All the best to you – hope you share many sweet years together.

  88. Congrats on the wedding, wonderful news – and a good reason for distraction! My wife and I missed our third wedding anniversary this year, she was out of town on business, and I finally launched my blog. Wishing you every blessing under the sun!

  89. fernanda mendez says:

    October 7th, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    so happy for you! congratulations!!

  90. This looks like perfection.

  91. Congrats on the wedding you guys!

  92. Mmm…. vivid colors, intense flavors, this looks awesome!

  93. Congratulations! That is wonderful news and you should never worry about over sharing something so happy! I’m a longtime reader but I seldom comment. Your blog is wonderful!

  94. So late to the game, but CONGRATS!!! Enjoy!

  95. Congratulations on your marriage (!!!), and best of luck planning your wedding! Having gotten married a year ago to a crowd of 200+, I feel you on the whole planning thing. It’s intense, but it’s worth it, in the end. And I hope you enjoy every step of the process.

    And this jam? Looks absolutely LOVELY. I’ve never had anything with rose water, so it’s definitely something I think I need to check out ASAP.

  96. Wow, congratulations! on three years and the wedding! enjoy London and Paris!

  97. Found you through the Live Gourmet feature today. Congrats on your upcoming nuptials and on being featured. Love Mauviel. Great site and fantastic photos. I am sure we will be friends :)

  98. Congratulations! Have a wonderful time in London and Paris!

  99. Hip hip hooray for the newlyweds!! Enjoy every minute of the honeymoon – it will be MAGIC!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoox

  100. Congrats!

    I love love love the floral essense in the jam! So unexpected!

  101. Congratulations! i’m so happy for you. all the Xs and Os…

What do you think?