Stanford Parents' Club History
Making Homemade Apricot Jam
The Stanford Parents’ Club has a long and cherished tradition of making and selling homemade apricot jam as a fundraiser to support undergraduate scholarships. For generations, this special project has brought parents together each summer to turn sun-ripened Blenheim apricots, donated by the Packard family from their Los Altos Hills orchard, into jars of golden jam. Each jar sold helps fund meaningful educational opportunities for Stanford students, continuing a legacy of care, community, and support.
Write a Title Here. Click to Edit and Add Your Own Text.
In the early years of the club, members donated homemade jam for use in nursing homes, helping students recovering from illnesses or injuries. Having jam on their toast in the morning was a treat for the convalescing students. Club records reveal that this annual donation of jams continued into the 1960s, with mothers donating 300 jars of jam for students at Alpine House.
In the 1970s, David Packard donated apricots from his orchard to the club for making jam, which was sold to support the club's scholarship fund. A provision in his will continues to grant the Stanford Parents' Club at least four lugs of apricots each summer. Often we get 8 to 10 lugs! During this time, members, including moms and dads, gather for two fun-filled days of jam-making.
In 1994, David Packard approached the Club to see if they could also make jam from his Damson plums, in addition to apricots. Thirty jars were made and given to the Packards in gratitude for their yearly apricot donations. The apricot jam was sold to members and at boutiques. Financial records indicate that the club earned between $1,200 and $5,000 per year from jam sales. The recipe was included in Club cookbooks for all to enjoy.
During the pandemic, when it would have been impossible to cook jam inside someone’s kitchen, the orchard provided dried apricots. Club members bagged these while sitting outside at a member's home.
📌 Early in the summer, members of the Stanford Parents' Club gather at a member's home to make jam. The exact date is announced once the Packard orchardist determines when the apricots are ripe, usually in late June or early July. Be sure to sign up to receive an invitation to join the fun.
In June, members of the Parents' Club will gather at someone’s home to make jam. The date will be announced once the Packard orchardist determines when the apricots will be ripe, typically toward the end of June or the beginning of July. Make sure to sign up to be on the list to receive an invitation to join the jam-making fun.
Photos courtesy of Stanford Historical Photograph Collection