Apricots! in May

 Three years ago I planted a dozen fruit trees.  Some have grown faster than others and have produced wonderful fruit.   Last year I harvested about 50 apricots but this year was a bounty for sure.....well over 40 pounds which equates to about 9 fruit per pound.  When is the last time you had an apricot that tasted like an apricot? What to do with all these?  I certainly don't have enough friends to share them with but they did help me make use of a lot. 

One morning harvest

My apricot tree is a gorgeous three year old tree. 

The first thing I made not knowing how many fruit I would have was jam/preserves.  Ingredients: just halved apricots, sugar and lemon juice.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 pounds apricots, halved and pit removed

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Method:

Place apricots in a wide bottom pan.  Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes

Add sugar and lemon juice.  Cook an additional 40 minutes or until jam is thick.

Place in clean glass jars.

If you want to can in large batches.  Use your favorite equipment and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.  If you are new to canning I highly recommend Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan or jump to her website  Food in Jars

I usually fill a couple of jars and then store the rest in the fridge.

I also tried a second of her recipes from her book Naturally Sweet Food in Jars  that uses honey as the sweetener and added vanilla

Ok What else?  I halved and pitted about 10 pounds, vacuum packed them and put them in the freezer.  Next I dried about another 20 pounds in my food dehydrator and vacuum packed them.  And for dessert: tarts.  When I was a student at the Cordon Bleu in Paris we made tartes aux abricot

Tartes aux abricots

I used a sweet pate sucre (sweet pastry dough), a traditional pastry cream. and placed quartered apricots on top.  Oh yes an a sprinkling of powdered sugar both before and after baking.  These are a perfect serving size and can be popped in the freezer.  Here is the book that I use for tart recipes:

not an abundance of pretty pictures but authentic recipes

French Tarts by Linda Dannenberg

I was really fortunate this year to have such a huge crop.  Next year could be a dud.  My other fruit trees are about ready

The nectarine tree is next - about the first of July

Satsuma plum - maybe ready late July

Sally - who is the official orchard kitty