This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Apricot BBQ sauce is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. It’s golden orange with flecks of red, and it’s good for basting chicken, brushing over ribs, or drizzling on grilled salmon. It also cans well, so you can enjoy that summer BBQ flavor all year.
Apricots have a delicate sweetness and a bit of tartness, which makes them a good choice for a BBQ sauce. When combined with ingredients like honey, cider vinegar, and a few spices, apricots help create a sauce that is rich in flavor yet balanced enough to go with just about anything.
I particularly love this sauce on grilled chicken, and it works wonderfully with pork as well. If you like fruit barbecue sauces, try my rhubarb BBQ sauce too.
Ingredients for Apricot BBQ Sauce
I adapted this recipe from Zesty Peach Barbecue Sauce in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, using apricots in place of the peaches. Apricots and peaches can stand in for each other in this sauce. Ball actually says you can get a richer flavor in their peach salsa canning recipe if you use apricots instead.
I like apricots here for their more concentrated flavor, and I think this sauce is even better than my peach BBQ sauce.
For one batch, which makes 4 to 5 half pints, you’ll need the following:
- 6 cups finely chopped, pitted apricots (unpeeled)
- 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 large onion)
- 3 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 1-1/4 cups honey
- 3/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp dried hot pepper flakes
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 2 tsp salt
The red pepper flakes give this BBQ sauce a bit of heat, just enough to make things interesting. If you want a really mild sauce, you can skip them, or increase the amount for a bit more spice. You’re always allowed to add reasonable amounts of extra dry spices to canning recipes, or reduce them to suit your tastes. For anything else, check my list of safe canning recipe changes first.
Don’t reduce the amount of vinegar in this recipe, as that’s added for preservation. The honey balances the tartness there. You can use less honey if you’d like a tangier sauce, but keep the vinegar the same. Keep the bell pepper, onion, and garlic at the amounts listed too, and don’t add more of them.
How to Make Apricot BBQ Sauce
Start by preparing your canner, along with jars and lids. This is a hot pack, so heat the canner water to about 180 degrees F.
In a large saucepan, combine the chopped apricots, onion, garlic, honey, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper flakes, dry mustard, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer. Stir frequently and allow the sauce to thicken to the consistency of a thin commercial BBQ sauce. This will take about 25 minutes. You can puree the sauce in batches using a food processor or an immersion blender if you prefer a smoother consistency, or leave it chunky for more texture.
Ladle the hot BBQ sauce into your hot jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace. Be sure to remove any air bubbles by gently tapping the jars on the counter or using a bubble remover tool. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean towel to remove any sauce residue.
Center the hot lids on the jars and screw on the metal bands until they’re fingertip tight. This will ensure the jars seal properly.
Canning Apricot BBQ Sauce
Now, it’s time to process the jars to ensure they seal and are preserved safely.
Set the jars in your water bath canner, make sure they’re fully submerged in water, and bring the water to a rolling boil before you start the timer.
Process half pints for 15 minutes or pints for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude with the chart below.
Altitude Adjustments
These processing times are for water bath canning, and they go up at higher elevations.
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 15 minutes for half pints and 20 minutes for pints
- 1,001 to 3,000 feet: 20 minutes for half pints and 25 minutes for pints
- 3,001 to 6,000 feet: 25 minutes for half pints and 30 minutes for pints
- Above 6,000 feet: 30 minutes for half pints and 35 minutes for pints
When the time is up, turn off the heat, take the lid off the canner, and let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes before lifting them out. That rest helps prevent siphoning. Let the jars cool on a clean towel for 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals. If the center of the lid is pressed down and doesn’t pop back when pressed, the jar has sealed properly.
Label the jars with the date, and store them in a cool, dark place. Properly canned and sealed jars will maintain peak quality on the pantry shelf for 12 to 18 months. Once opened, refrigerate and use within a few weeks.
Apricot BBQ Sauce
Equipment
- Canning Jars, Lids and Bands
Ingredients
- 6 cups apricots, pitted, unpeeled, and finely chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped, see notes
- 3 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups honey
- 3/4 cup cider vinegar, 5% acidity
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp dried hot pepper flakes
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Prepare the water bath canner, jars, and lids. Heat the canner water to about 180 degrees F for a hot pack.
- Combine the apricots, bell pepper, onion, garlic, honey, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper flakes, dry mustard, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a thin commercial barbecue sauce, about 25 minutes.
- For a smoother sauce, puree it with an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor, then bring it back to a simmer. The sauce has to be hot going into the jars.
- Ladle the hot sauce into hot half pint or pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims, and apply the lids and bands fingertip tight.
- Set the jars in the canner, bring it to a full rolling boil, and process half pints for 15 minutes or pints for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude (see notes).
- Turn off the heat, take the lid off the canner, and let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes before lifting them out. Cool for 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals.
Notes
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 15 minutes for half pints and 20 minutes for pints
- 1,001 to 3,000 feet: 20 minutes for half pints and 25 minutes for pints
- 3,001 to 6,000 feet: 25 minutes for half pints and 30 minutes for pints
- Above 6,000 feet: 30 minutes for half pints and 35 minutes for pints
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Apricot Canning Recipes
Looking for more fun apricot canning recipes?
Can you sub garlic for the onions? I’m allergic to onions?
You can just leave the onions out, that’s fine. Enjoy!
Thank you for this! It was the perfect way to use up the apricots I had leftover from jam. It’s delicious, and we added a little cinnamon and brown sugar and left out the hot pepper flakes because, kids. It looks beautiful too! 🙂
I made the peach version a few years ago. Love the way fruit makes bbq sauce
Peach would be delicious too!
Sweet and tangy, this batch came out perfect!