Canning Recipe for Apricots in Honey Syrup

Preserve fresh apricots in a light, honey sweetened syrup, so you can enjoy them after apricot season has passed.

Apricots are one of the earliest stone fruits we can get locally in our northern community, rivalled only by sweet cherries.

As apricot season approaches, it's easy to spot golden fruits ripening along our back roads. They look like little glowing jewels among the dark green leaves. Some of the older apricot trees are so large and rambling, they're easy to mistake for ancient apple trees! 

One day, I would like to grow my own stone fruit. Apricots, cherries and plums are on the list! But until that day comes, I'm happy to enjoy fresh apricots from old orchards and local growers.

We always eat these soft little fruits when they're in season, but still I haven't found a truly satisfactory way to preserve them in my kitchen!

Our northern apricots can be quite sour, so dehydrating isn't the best option. I sometimes freeze apricots for homemade fruit crisp.

Apricot jam is ok. And I've canned apricot halves in a sweet syrup, but they always turn to mush in the process. 

Finally, I decided to try something different. 

I learned a while ago that plums hold their texture better when they're canned whole. So I decided to try canning slightly underripe apricots in the same manner.

After punching out the large pit, I processed a batch of whole apricots in a honey syrup. 

And wouldn't you know it? 

The texture on whole, canned apricots is much, much better! Especially if you use the hot pack method when water bath canning. 

Tips for Firm Canned Apricots 

Unlike peaches and apples, apricots don't hold their texture well in the water bath canner! So here are quick tips that will give you firmer apricots (or as firm as possible).

1. When canning, use slightly underripe apricots that just show signs of softening.
2. Preserve whole apricots and the skin will hold flesh together. 
3. Canning apricots in pint jars (500 ml) makes for shorter processing times and gives you firm apricot. 
4. Use the hot pack method, so apricots plump up before canning and you have shorter time in the canner.

How to Pit Whole Apricots

Apricots hold their form best when preserved whole (instead of halves). You'll want to remove the pits, though! 

You can use a chopstick, stainless steel straw or a round-handled wood spoon for this. Actually, I like to use a BIC ballpoint pen. After removing the ink-filled insert, BIC pens have a hole that catches the pointed end of the pit. It's easy to push the seed through after that! 

To avoid squishing or bruising apricots, insert your "pitter" where the stem was attached. Gently apply pressure and it will easily break through the other end of your golden fruit.

Super easy! Like this. 

How to Pack Jars

There are two different ways you can fill your jars for canning: a cold or raw pack, and a hot pack! 

Cold or Raw Pack

Cold packing is easy! Pit the apricots and stuff them into jars until they're full. After this, you pour hot syrup into each one. 

When packing whole, raw apricots into jars, I like to gently squish or flatten fruit into a disc shape, without breaking the skin. Then I can gently pack jars with the discs. 

Hot Pack

You can also do a hot pack with apricots! Some folks think they get better results in texture. I'm inclined to agree, though I do still use the cold pack method when I'm crunched for time (like I was when I photographed this recipe!).

To do a hot pack, measure cold water and honey into a pot, add pitted apricots and set everything on the stove to boil. After things boil, you can carefully ladle hot fruit and syrup into jars.

Canning Apricots in Honey Syrup

Items You'll Need

• canning pot
• ladle
• stockpot for hot honey syrup
• jar lifter
• 7 pint jars
• 7 canning lids and bands
• cooling rack

Ingredient List

• 4 pounds of apricots (1.8 kg apricots)
• 6 cups of water 
• 1 cup raw honey

Canning Prep

The first step in canning is to prepare your supplies. 

1. Gather and wash 7 pint jars. 
2. Make sure you have 7 lids and screw rings. 
3. Grab your jar lifter 
4. Fill the hot water bath canner or canning pot and set it to boil on the stove. 
5. Make your syrup by measuring a cup of honey and 6 cups water into a stockpot for a light syrup. 

Fruit Prep

1. If fruit is dusty or dirty, wash apricots in cold water. 
2. Weigh your fruit (you need 4 pounds or 1.8 kg of whole apricots)
3. Start punching pits through the whole apricots, just like I showed you above. 

Cold Packing Instructions

1. Set your honey syrup on to boil. 
2. Stuff whole, pitted apricots into jars. 
3. Leave 1 inch of headspace (open space) at the top of the jars. 
4. Carefully ladle hot honey syrup into the jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. 
5. Twist the jar back and forth to remove trapped air bubbles.
6. Wipe the rim of each jar to remove syrup and bits of apricot. 
7. Pop a canning lid and screw band into place, tightening to fingertip tightness. 
8. Use the chart below to find cold pack processing times for your altitude. 
9. After processing, use a jar lifter to pull hot jars from the canning pot.
10. Let them sit undisturbed until they reach room temperature.
11. Test each jar for a seal, and put sealed jars into your food storage area, and unsealed jars in the fridge.

Hot Packing Instructions

1. Pit whole apricots, until you've dealt with them all. 
2. Add whole, pitted apricots to the pot of cold water and honey. 
3. Set the pot to boil. 
4. After liquid boils, carefully lift apricots and add them to your jars, leaving 1 inch of open space at the top of each jar. 
5. Top jars with honey syrup from the pot, leaving 1 inch headspace. 
6. Wipe the rim of each jar. 
7. Place jars in a boiling water bath canner and process for a hot pack, according to your altitude.
8. Remove hot jars and let them cool until they reach room temperature.
9. Check each jar for a seal, putting sealed jars into the pantry and unsealed jars in the refrigerator.

Helpful tip: when using the hot pack method, it's important to add apricots to cold water. If you dump them into boiling water, you'll have problems with skins splitting and folding back. Warming them with the syrup helps avoid this problem. 

Processing Time for Pint Jars (500 ml)

Raw Pack

• 0-1,000 ft: 25 min
• 1,001-3,000 ft: 30 min
• 3,001-6000 ft: 35 min
• 6,000 ft: 40 min

Hot Pack

• 0-1,000 ft: 20 min
• 1,001-3,000 ft: 25 min
• 3,001-6000 ft: 30 min
• 6,000 ft: 35 min

*elevation and processing times have been taken from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Questions Folks Ask

Can I use apricots that have scabs, bruises or spots of decay?

Yes. Scabs will soften in the canner, unless the fruit is extremely scaly. Cut out brown bruises or spots of decay, and preserve the apricots like normal.

How long will unsealed jars of apricots last in the fridge?

It depends on the sugar content, but apricots in a light syrup will last about 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

All my apricots squished into the top few inches of the jar. How do I avoid this?

It's a common problem to have! Apricots are so soft, they can easily turn to mush in the canner. Most of the time, your fruit is either too ripe, or it's because you did a raw pack.

Follow these tips for next time.

1. Use slightly underripe apricots for canning.
2. Always can whole apricots (instead of halves or slices).
3. Don't blanch and peel apricots before canning them.
4. Use the hot pack method, and your apricots will plump up before they go into the jar and are more likely to hold their form.