Apricots

[rlibkind]

Today at Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market I picked up local (Columbia County PA) apricots. They were sweet, with excellent texture and a nice spicy flavor.

Great for out-of-hand eating, which is how I intend to devour this basket ($2 for about a baker's dozen). And they'd been good au gratin or in tarts.

What other ways do you like to serve apricots?

[bloviatrix]

I love apricots. This year they have been out of this world. Two alternatives I like are apricot sorbet and poached in moscato d'asti with some mascarpone mixed with honey and nutmeg (this comes from another egulleter, but my memory fails me at the moment)

[Jason Perlow]

Preseves over buttered toast.

[SethG]

Jam.

[ludja]

I love apricot jam...

a baked apricot kuchen or clafouti-type dish;

apricot pie---straight up or with cherries

an open-faced, free-fomr galette w/ground almonds under the fruit

apricot compote sprinkled with toasted pistachios

apricot sorbet

tart iwth pastry cream filling and poached apricots on top; glazed w/red currant jam

[adoxograph]

Sprinkle with a bit of sugar and broil them. Very quick and tasty with ice cream or nuts.

[andiesenji]

I just finished cooking the last of the apricots from my tree on Sunday.

I cook them down - pictures on another thread - apricots

Then freeze in Cambro containers for later use in combination with other fruits and etc., and canning in jam jars.

I combine apricots with ginger in a marmalade, with lime and various other things, including hot peppers - an apricot/ginger/lime/hot pepper sorbet.

a sauce for chicken and pork with sage and star anise cooked in the apricot sauce.

apricot butter and apricot leather.

[KatieLoeb]

Sliced and served with yogurt or that liquid yogurt drink whose name escapes me right now.

Sliced and allowed to macerate with a bit of Grand Marnier or bourbon over vanilla ice cream.

Halved, cut side up and sprinkled with brown sugar and run lightly under the broiler.

[SobaAddict70]

Stewed with lamb, onions, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes and honey; (use chopped dried apricots although I imagine that you could add apricots that had been cooked down; add these in towards the end of cooking)

Sliced in half, stuffed with goat cheese and pine nuts, chilled, as an appetizer (again, use dried apricots);

Stuffed with almond paste or almond pastry cream and dipped in chocolate. (dried apricots are perfect)

Soba

[bloviatrix]

How can I forget an apricot-frangipane tart...poached apricots and almond cream in a buttery crust. I'm drooling as I type.

[andiesenji]

Cooked down to preserves, placed still warm in food processor with heavy cream, processed until you have apricot cream, warm and lucious.

[cbarre02]

Braised sous vide with spices, butter, and apricot puree.

[curlywurlyfi]

chunk them and toss them with cherry tomatoes, EVOO, rosemary, maybe a few dried red chilli flakes, garlic, s+p, then roast till the tomatoes are sticky and caramelly. Use as sauce for grilled butterflied leg of lamb.

[Verjuice]

I've never tasted a good apricot .

And I so want to. The tree in my front yard is brimming with them, but they're horrid and grainy; tasteless. I have always found fresh apricots to be so and I know it's not always the case. Are good apricots particularly difficult to find?

I think I'm missing out on the Secret of Apricots!

[curlywurlyfi]

Are good apricots particularly difficult to find?

the sad fact is yes, they are. I buy them when I see them in the UK summer and have yet to find any that match the flavour of the Mediterranean ones. best thing to do with disappointing apricots is cook them. But I persist, I persist - because that mouth-filling juice-dripping sunshine apricot flavour is so worth it when you get a good one. I have the same problem with figs - the ones I buy in the UK taste like pale shadows of their Med cousins - and yet because I am always hoping to find that elusive perfect one, I always buy them...

[Rushina]

Anyone every used apricot oil in their cooking?

Wild apricot oil is produced in Garhwal India and I picked up a bottle on a recent trip. I thought is would be good to dress fruit salads and the like but was wondering if it could be used for anything else.

Had tons of fresh apricots too, just as they were thouhg...

Rushina

[evilhomer]

arguably my favourite fruit, don't forget to get the bitter almond kernel form inside the pit. I've been into yoghurt cheese lately and would mix some of that with the ground kernels and a bit of honey, stuffed into half an apricot and broiled would be nice.

[suzilightning]

i know i posted about this somewhere before .... maybe seasonal food but

cut in half

stone them out

heat till just warmed in a pan with prosecco

chill

fill with a mixture of mascarpone, freshly grated nutmeg and honey