As this apricot crop is a new experience, we've been speculating about the most efficient ways to harvest and preserve this fruit. My grandmother's old edition of "The Good Housekeeping Cookbook" (which also features a recipe for Squirrel Fricassee, by the way), seems to have the most complete information on multiple ways of preserving specific fruits and vegetables.
Right now I'm leaning towards a combination of gorging on fresh fruit, freezing some, and drying a bit, too.
Any favorite apricot recipes out there?
Must be a fine year for a bumper crop of apricots. I belong to FROG (Front Range Organic Gardeners) and one of our members sent out an email inviting friends to come over and pick some - she said that she has three large trees that are full.
ReplyDeleteMy peach tree is loaded - I just have to keep the squirrels from making the first move on getting them. It will be a couple more weeks before they will be ready. Did not get any last year - but in 2008 I had a lot.
I like to dry mine for winter use...
Hi Mark! Do you use a dehydrator for your peaches? I have one that I've used successfully for tomatoes, so I'll probably put it to work on the apricots. I'll do some batches in the oven, too---I don't want any of this fruit to go to waste!
ReplyDeletePS Mark, if you want that recipe for squirrel fricassee, just let me know! ;-)
ReplyDeleteJocelyn -
ReplyDeleteYes - I bought the dehydrator at WalMart just so I could use it on the peaches - worked very well.
As for the squirrel fricassee - I might have some interest. Since I have a Havahart squirrel trap - that I use in order to save my fruit from invasion. I usually haul them off to a park about 2 miles away. But fricassee sounds like an interesting alternative :-)
recipe for liqueur. i don't know that i would strain out the fruit though.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.grouprecipes.com/103625/homemade-apricot-liqueur.html
Sounds yummy! I've never made fruit liqueur before, so it would be a fun project, too. Apricot martini, anyone?
ReplyDelete