Step 1

Prepare the apricots by peeling, removing pits and crushing them. You can crush they by hand with a potato masher or throw in a food processor and pulse a couple of times.

Step 2

In a pot over medium high heat, mix together crushed apricots, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and continue stirring until sugar completely dissolves.

Step 3

Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and turns into a jam. This takes about 20-25 minutes. Once it's thick and jam like, remove any foam from the top and proceed to the next step.

Step 4

For refrigerator jam: Remove pot from heat and allow to cool before pouring it into mason jars and placing in the refrigerator for immediate serving.

Step 5

For canning jam: Prepare (1/2 pint jars by cleaning and sterilizing jars, lids and rings in hot water (dishwasher or water bath). Pour hot jam into sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of space on top. Use a thin knife and run around the inside of the jar once jam is inside to make sure to remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims of jars clean and place lids and rings on them. Bring a pot of water to a boil, lower the jars into the pot and process for 15 minutes (water boiling, pot covered). During this process, you want to make sure the water level never gets lower than 1 inch from the tops of the jars. Carefully remove the jars from the pot and let sit until cool. Once cooled down, press the top of each lid down to make sure the jar is sealed. Store in cabinet.