Small history

General Information

Origin: China
Etymology: From Arabic al-barkuk via Portuguese or Spanish; ultimately from Latin praecoquum, meaning “early ripe.”  

Rosaceae family.

The apricot is a fleshy fruit containing an oval, woody pit: it is therefore classified as a stone fruit.

Nearly 4000 years ago, a fruit belonging to the rose family was discovered on the mountain slopes of China. Thanks to the strong sensory appeal of the apricot’s delicate velvety skin and intensely sweet fragrance and flavor, apricot cuttings traveled across the Persian Empire to the Mediterranean where they flourished. Many popular varieties of the fruit, varying in size, color and flavor, are still grown throughout the world today.

Nutritional values per 100 g
Calories: 52; water: 89%; carbohydrates: 11 g; protein: 0.7 g.
Rich in vitamins A, B and C, niacin, potassium, calcium, magnesium and selenium.

Buying
Avoid green fruit which will not ripen.

Look for plump, fairly firm and unbruised fruit with an orangey-yellow to orange color and a nice scent.

Fully ripe fruit is soft to the touch, juicy and should be eaten as soon as possible.

Storing
Keep apricots cool to prevent over-ripening. They can be stored in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator, although cold deadens their flavor.

Place hard apricots in a paper bag and let ripen for a day or two.

To freeze fresh apricots, halve the fruit and place on a baking sheet until frozen. Pack into plastic freezer bags.

Cooking
Apricots can be preserved by drying, making them convenient to use whenever needed. 

Too hard or chewy ? When cooked in liquid, apricots will absorb moisture and become softer and more tender.

Enjoying
Apricot stuffing for turkey
Place bread cubes in a large shallow baking pan and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring once. Set aside. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add almonds; cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add chopped onion and celery; cook for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring frequently. Stir in poultry seasoning and salt. Add the vegetable mixture, chestnuts, apricots, currants and almonds to the bread cubes and toss together. Stir in broth. Let stand while preparing turkey.

Apricot tartlets
Halve and pit the apricots. Sprinkle 4 small tartlet molds with a teaspoonful of sugar each. Place a few rosemary leaves in the bottom of each mold. Place the apricot halves into the molds, rounded side down, overlapping them. Cover with a circle of puff pastry of a diameter slightly larger than that of the mold. Tuck the edges of the pastry into the sides of the mold. Bake in a 350° F oven for about 20 minutes.

Apricot oatmeal squares
Grease a 13” x 9” pan and set aside. Melt 2 sticks butter, add 3/4 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup white sugar and blend well. Add 2 eggs and 2 tsp. vanilla and blend. In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. baking soda. Add the mixture to the butter-sugar mixture. Add 3 cups quick-cooking oats and blend until combined. Place a layer of the oatmeal mixture into the prepared pan, then a layer of sliced apricots, and finally the remaining oatmeal mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375° F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; do not overbake.