5 Best Pumpkin Jam Recipes with Dried Apricots

What are the health benefits of pumpkin?

Recipes for apricot jam, cherry or sweet cherry confiture, apple, pear, or currant jam can be found in almost every cookbook. However, not all cooks know that delicious desserts can be made not only from fruits but also from vegetables. For example, juicy butternut squash can be used to make a delicious and aromatic jam.

Pumpkin contains numerous vitamins and minerals. Even after cooking, the vegetable retains vitamins A, C, PP, K, B1, B2, and B12, as well as calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, and pectin. This product has a beneficial effect on the digestive system. Pumpkin jam is recommended for those with water-salt imbalances, reproductive problems, and a tendency toward obesity. According to nutritionists, this sunny vegetable promotes cholesterol elimination. This product can be used as a main ingredient during fasting days.

Video: "Pumpkin, Dried Apricot, and Orange Jam"

This video will show you how to quickly and easily prepare a delicious and flavorful dessert for the winter.

Recipes

The benefits of pumpkin are endless, as this vegetable is widely grown in our region. It's used in cooking to prepare first and second courses, sauces and gravies, various desserts, juices, and even energy drinks. Pumpkin jam, which will satisfy even the most demanding gourmets, can have a variety of aromas and flavors. To add variety to the flavor of the finished dish, add lemon, orange, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, apples, pears, or zucchini during cooking.

We offer you several interesting recipes for making a "golden dessert" from pumpkin and dried apricots.

Classical

The most popular dessert with pumpkin as its main ingredient is "Transparent Amber" jam. To prepare it, you'll need the following ingredients:

• pumpkin pulp – 1 kg;
• dried apricots – 300–400 g;
• lemon juice – 5 tbsp;
• granulated sugar – 3-4 cups;
• gelatin or any other gelling mixture – 1 packet.

Please note that the "Transparent Amber" dessert is made in pumpkin juice, not water. The main ingredient should be washed, peeled, and chopped. The diced pumpkin is sprinkled with sugar and left for several hours to release the juice. When there is enough juice to form a syrup, add lemon juice and place the saucepan over low heat.

Now you can rinse and chop the dried fruit. Once the saucepan boils, add the dried apricots and simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for several hours. Boil the mixture three times for 15-20 minutes, being careful not to overcook the pumpkin. During the third cooking stage, add the gelling mixture, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat. After cooling, the amber-colored syrup should be viscous and clear.

With ginger and cinnamon

Ginger jam with pumpkin, dried apricot, and cinnamon pieces has a subtle and delicate aroma, clearly revealing dozens of different combinations. Prepare 2 kg of ripe pumpkin, 0.8 kg of dried apricots, 1 kg of sugar, lemon, a few cinnamon sticks, and a piece of fresh ginger. Let's get started:

1. Cut the pre-prepared main ingredients into small pieces.
2. Cover the pumpkin pulp with sugar and let it sit for a few hours. When the juice appears, place the saucepan on the stove. Bring the syrup to a boil and simmer for another 15–20 minutes. Remove from the stove and cool to room temperature.
3. Repeat the process, adding dried apricots, grated ginger, lemon juice, and cinnamon sticks to the container. This step should take no more than 20–30 minutes.
4. Sterilize the jars. Place the jam in the jars and screw on the metal lids.

With walnuts

To prepare a classic pumpkin dessert with walnuts, you will need the following ingredients:

• pumpkin – 2 kg;
• dried apricot – 300 g;
• sugar – 900 g;
• walnuts – 200 g;
• lemon – 1 pc.;
• purified water – 200 ml;
• nutmeg and cinnamon - a pinch each.

First, all the main ingredients are washed, peeled, and chopped. Then, water is poured into a saucepan, along with sugar and nuts. Once the sugar has dissolved over low heat, add the pumpkin and lemon. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and dried apricots are added a few minutes before the end of cooking.

Any foam that appears during cooking should be removed with a slotted spoon. Many people mistakenly believe that it merely spoils the appearance of the finished dessert and has no effect on the taste or shelf life of the product. Experienced cooks claim that foam remaining in the jars reduces the shelf life of jam.

Through a meat grinder

No-cook jam is considered a healing remedy that helps strengthen the immune system and resist many viral and cold diseases.

The algorithm for preparing a “raw” dessert is very simple:

1. Wash the vegetable, peel it and cut the flesh into strips.
2. Take one orange and one lemon, wash and cut into large wedges. There's no need to peel the citrus fruits.
3. Pass all prepared ingredients, including dried apricots, through a meat grinder.
4. Add granulated sugar and cinnamon to the resulting mixture. Mix thoroughly.
5. Place the beneficial mixture into jars and seal with nylon lids. Store in the refrigerator.

In a multicooker

The multicooker, often called a miracle pot, is considered an indispensable kitchen tool. This appliance saves time and significantly simplifies the preparation of various dishes.

So, the process of making pumpkin jam with dried apricots in a slow cooker won't take much time or effort:

1. Pour 2.5 cups of purified drinking water into a bowl. Add 700 g of granulated sugar and set the timer to "Stewing" mode for 40 minutes. The syrup should be thick and viscous.
2. Take 1.5–1.7 kg of slightly underripe pumpkin. Wash it thoroughly, peel it, and cut the flesh into medium-sized cubes. Add the chopped pumpkin to the bowl where the syrup is boiling.
3. Rinse the dried fruit thoroughly in warm water. Pre-soaking is not necessary. Cut the dried apricots into long strips and place them in the slow cooker.
4. Turn on the "Stewing" mode for another 90 minutes. Periodically open the lid and stir the contents of the bowl with a wooden spatula.
5. A few minutes before the end of cooking, add vanilla sugar (approximately 5–10 g).

Peeling and cutting a ripe pumpkin can be challenging. For this reason, it's recommended to microwave the vegetable for a few minutes.

Not everyone enjoys the sweet, sometimes cloying, taste of pumpkin jam. To alter the flavor and add a touch of tartness, we recommend adding a few drops of pure lemon juice during the cooking process. With its varied flavor profile, pleasant aroma, and beautiful color, this "golden dessert" will be a favorite among those with a sweet tooth.