Apricot Abundance

 Yes It's been a while since my last post but I've been busy...with the farm:  soil prep, weeding, planting, weeding, early harvest, weeding....and the weeding is winning.  Despite my biggest adversary the garden is in and so far very plentiful,  Spring gives me sugar snap peas, kale, chard, radishes, beets and fragrant sweet peas.  In early March I planted my tomatoes and I'm getting a few beauties already.  Soon I will be on a caprese salad diet.  But I want to post about my apricots. 

Gold Kist apricots grow in my zone.  I planted this tree 5 years ago and have had a huge harvest the last 3 years....too many really making me a slave to the apricots for the last 4 weeks.  The first bite of the first ripe fruit is heaven  You just can't get a flavorful apricot at the market.....maybe a Farmers Market.  At about week two I went out to pick up what had fallen on the soft grass that day and found this:

Over 50 had dropped since noon.  I actually had nightmares about what to do with all of this fruit.  I shared with my neighbors and friends and then I got to work:

First I made a batch of jam:

I find most of my successful canning recipes from Food in Jars.  This one starts with 8 cups of apricots and 3 1/2 cups of sugar plus a vanilla bean and lemon zest and juice.  About an hour later I have 3 pints of delicious jam.

So far I have jarred 16 pints and 8 half pints.  Jam anyone?

Last year I froze my extra but I didn't want to do that this year because I still have some in the freezer so I decided to can the apricots in quart jars.

Nineteen (19) quarts and a few pints of apricots.  This should get me through the winter

OK next I got out my dehydrator.....a must for anyone blessed with a bountiful harvest.  I used my vacuum sealer and produced 26 bags of dried apricots.  These will last quite a while.

Yesterday I celebrated baking with apricots and strawberries (also a good yield this year.  I went to Ina Garten's crostata recipe  for summer fruit and used 2 pounds of apricots and one cup of strawberries

Place in the center of a sweetened pastry (pate sucre)

Add the crumble topping and fold up the sides

Bake for 25 minutes at 450 degrees.

Crostatas can be made with any fruit.  It's simply a pie without the pie plate.  The pastry dough is rolled out; fruit tossed with flour, sugar and 2 Tbs of orange juice is then placed in the center leaving 1-2" of dough.  The dough edges are lifted up and gently over the fruit.  Go to Ina's recipe for specifics.

Most of you that know me know I consume very little sugar or flour or any processed foods at all but once in a while I treat myself to my own baking.  This was a treat.

I have maybe a day or two left of harvesting apricots.  My Anna apple is feeding me and my goats now and soon peaches.  But for today I am going to enjoy the last of the fresh fruit from my beautiful and generous tree.

Bon Appetit!

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