Apricots were free for the picking when I was a kid. There was an old, gnarled apricot tree full of fresh, juicy fruit located up the street.
There was also an old groundhog that lived under that tree. He liked apricots too.
We’d work as a team. One kid would watch out for the groundhog while another climbed the tree. Someone else could pick up the ones that fell on the ground. These little orange gems were well worth the effort.
Apricots originated in Asia over 4000 years ago. Apricot loosely translated from the Latin means “early-ripening peach”. These little peach colored fruit is low in calories, high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fiber and potassium. Choose apricots with a deep peach color and are slightly soft to the touch.
Dried apricots are available year-round. Use the dried fruit as it is or soak to hydrate. You can soak these fruits in water but I prefer wine for soaking apricots.
Here are two recipes using dried apricots but fresh would work as well.
Peachy Apricot Moscato Cake
Mango Apricot Bread Pudding
