VegBox Recipes
Apricot
Apricots are the main food eaten by one of the peoples of the Himalayas – they’re known for remarkable health and longevity … so the question is – is it the altitude or the apricots?!
- In Season?
- Late June, through July and up to the end of August.
- Buy?
- A ripe apricot should yield slightly to pressure, and is neither hard nor mushy.
- Store?
- If you need to ripen the apricots you have, store them alongside other fruits or keep them wrapped in a paper bag. To slow their continued ripening, put them in the fridge.
- Freeze?
- Blanche in boiling water for up to one minute, then shock in cold water, drain them, dip them in a citrus juice to prevent blackening, pack them and freeze them for up to three months.
- Cook?
- Yep! Great for baking in pies or adding to stuffing. Also just lovely as they are, eaten out of the hand (mind the stone), or halved and served as a snack with cream cheese in the hole where the stone was. Great for throwing into salads too…
More Apricot Information
Apricots are the main food eaten by one of the peoples of the Himalayas – they’re known for remarkable health and longevity … so the question is – is it the altitude or the apricots?!Like apple seeds, apricot stones contain amygdalin which breaks down into hydrogen cyanide. Unlike apple pips, there are actually reports of fatalities from eating too many apricot kernels. So not a great idea to go munching them.
Apricots ripen early, compared to other stone fruits, and because of this the Romans called them praecocium, meaning precocious. Perhaps more poetically, the Greeks called them “golden eggs of the sun”!. More recently (well, 1542), Henry VIII’s gardener introduced the apricot to the British Isles from Italy … perhaps he hoped the excitement would distract Henry from ploughing his way through more wives.
| Graham's Rhubarb Pudding |
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| Ingredients |
Method
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| Cupboard-To-Table |
Suggested Apricot Recipes
- Apricot Sorbet
I made this last year with apricots fresh from my friend’s back garden. I was planning on serving it as a dessert, and then at the last minute it occurred to me what a great appetiser it would make. A fresh sprig of mint on the top of each serving finished off the presentation, and I definitely scored hostess points with my pals!
- Apricot Upside-Down Cake
If you're saving the Apricot Sorbet recipe for even warmer weather, then how about a warm, fluffy slice of Apricot Upside Down Cake with your coffee, perhaps with a splash of cream or creme fraiche...
- Caramelised Fruit Cake
This delicious fruit cake recipe is one I discovered by accident - but it's now our favourite cake recipe. And you can guarantee that, once you've made it, it won't last long! It's really easy to make, too.
- Cosy Baked Stuffed Apples
This recipe was suggested to us by our good friend Gill in London. It's a really comforting "old-school pud" that you can play around with, and which also works brilliantly for breakfast times.
- Fruit Tempura
Here's a modern take on an old idea. This works well with bananas, peaches, apricots, apple wedges... Your imagination is the limit!
- Fruity Porridge
Porridge isn’t just a great way to start the day, it also makes a great meal at lunchtime or for a late supper. By adding dried fruits and seeds, you’re giving yourself a real boost of slow release carbohydrates and essential fatty acids.
- Halloween Sweet Eyeballs
Mu-ha-ha-ha-haaaah!
- Traditional Cherry Clafoutis
This traditional French dessert is so incredibly easy to make, and yet it's remarkably elegant. Certainly, if you use ramekins to make individual ones, it's idea for dinner parties. And yet it's so simple, it's also brilliant for family pudding, and (this is a bit naughty) it's lovely cold for breakfast, with the excuse that it's a bit like having pancakes! Just don't tell anyone we told you so...
- Tropical Wholefoods' Fairtrade Jewelled Rice
This recipe has been very generously donated to us by the brilliant team at Tropical Wholefoods, to accompany our Ooffoo feature on dried fruits. This is what the Tropical Wholefoods team have to say about the recipe:
"Inspired by rice served at traditional Persian weddings, this beautiful dish is a wonderful accompaniment to any curry or dahl."
- Tropical Wholefoods' Fairtrade Tropical Compote with Dried Fruits
This recipe has been very generously donated to us by the brilliant team at Tropical Wholefoods, to accompany our Ooffoo feature on dried fruits. This is what the Tropical Wholefoods team have to say about the recipe:
"The Earl Grey infusion in this compote gives an interesting subtle twist to the tropical fruit flavour. The compote looks very pretty served in individual glass bowls or in a single large bowl. This is very easy to make."
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