First time for Apricots!

Mudman · June 24, 2011

I have lived in my house for seven years and there are 2 apple trees, 2 plum trees, a pear tree, and an apricot tree in my yard as well as many nut trees. With the apricot tree flowering so early I always lose the fruit or blossoms to frost, but this year it was so cold all spring that the flowers held off until after the last frost and now I have apricots.

Any recommendations now? When are they ripe and what can I do with them. I have eaten dried ones but never a fresh one. I am pretty excited.

tam91 · June 24, 2011

I'm looking for some to make strawberry-apricot jam with. I bet they'd make a good pie, in combination with raspberries too.

Mudman · June 24, 2011

That sounds good, but I think my raspberries will be long gone by the time the apricots are ripe.

Medbury Gardens · July 28, 2011

Sounds interesting that the flowering was held off until after the last of your frosts because of a colder spring,i wish i was so lucky as apricots can be a hit and miss affair for me down here in the roaring 40's,the winds kick early spring and always warms things up enough so they tend flower at the same time every year,but spring here is incredibly changeable and frosts can still hit till early summer.

Elizabeth · July 28, 2011

Apricots don't keep well so if you get a good harvest you will need to preserve it in some way. I'm partial to freezer jams since I don't have to worry about all the paraphernalia and stringent safety issues, plus since it isn't cooked the flavor is much more "fresh" I think.

Pick up some plastic Ball jars and freezer pectin and make yourself up some apricot preserves and apricot glaze (awesome on ham) and enjoy the fresh taste of apricots out of your freezer for months to come.

I have a cookbook called "Peaches and Other Juicy Fruits" that has wonderful recipes for using peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines. I get 80+ lbs of plums off my little tree each year and just planted a pluot and aprium - I needed some additional ideas beyond jam and this specialty book has some pretty nice recipes for using fresh and preserving.

June 24, 2011	#1
Mudman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NW Wisconsin Posts: 910	First time for Apricots! I have lived in my house for seven years and there are 2 apple trees, 2 plum trees, a pear tree, and an apricot tree in my yard as well as many nut trees. With the apricot tree flowering so early I always lose the fruit or blossoms to frost, but this year it was so cold all spring that the flowers held off until after the last frost and now I have apricots. Any recommendations now? When are they ripe and what can I do with them. I have eaten dried ones but never a fresh one. I am pretty excited. __________________ Mike

June 24, 2011	#2
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	I'm looking for some to make strawberry-apricot jam with. I bet they'd make a good pie, in combination with raspberries too. __________________ Tracy

June 24, 2011	#3
Mudman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NW Wisconsin Posts: 910	That sounds good, but I think my raspberries will be long gone by the time the apricots are ripe. __________________ Mike

July 28, 2011	#5
Elizabeth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Diego Coastal - Zone 10b Posts: 204	Apricots don't keep well so if you get a good harvest you will need to preserve it in some way. I'm partial to freezer jams since I don't have to worry about all the paraphernalia and stringent safety issues, plus since it isn't cooked the flavor is much more "fresh" I think. Pick up some plastic Ball jars and freezer pectin and make yourself up some apricot preserves and apricot glaze (awesome on ham) and enjoy the fresh taste of apricots out of your freezer for months to come. I have a cookbook called "Peaches and Other Juicy Fruits" that has wonderful recipes for using peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines. I get 80+ lbs of plums off my little tree each year and just planted a pluot and aprium - I needed some additional ideas beyond jam and this specialty book has some pretty nice recipes for using fresh and preserving. __________________ Elizabeth If I'm going to water and care for a plant it had better give me food, flowers or shade.

July 28, 2011	#4
Medbury Gardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Medbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,881	Sounds interesting that the flowering was held off until after the last of your frosts because of a colder spring,i wish i was so lucky as apricots can be a hit and miss affair for me down here in the roaring 40's,the winds kick early spring and always warms things up enough so they tend flower at the same time every year,but spring here is incredibly changeable and frosts can still hit till early summer.