  Well, it appears that my internet is totally hosed for who-knows-how-long. It has been down and I have waited patiently for a reawakening, only to find out that the company is down all the way into Kansas!! Somebody cut a cable. Dear Mr. Fix-It got me hooked into a mobile unit and so I get to write a really fast post!! Today, the subject is “Apricots”. Growing up, I loved dried apricots. We kids would get a bag and devour them instead of candy. I still love them today and I still call them what we used to call them, “Dried Ears”. Seeing my cousin recently, she affirmed that THEY call them dried ears as well! You can’t deny that dried apricots look like something some faraway, cannibal tribe collected from unsuspecting captives, not to mention that which Van Gogh sent to his lady love. OK, so now I’ve really made them appetizing, eh? Apricots are a member of the same family as peaches, plums, apples and pears but are most closely associated with plums. They grew wild in China as long ago as 2000 BC and it was the Chinese, through the silk and spice trade, that brought the fruit to the Middle East and Mediterranean countries. Romans made the apricot trees part of their culture around 100 BC as did the Greeks who called them, “the golden eggs of the sun”. By the Middle Ages, apricots were being cultivated throughout Europe. The Spanish brought the fruit trees to the New World, first planting in Mexico and later in what is today’s California, which is the leading producer in our country today. Because of our climate in Oklahoma, apricot trees produce quite well and quite prolifically. If you remember from the past post on the bunnies, Sir Flying Ace’s dog found those bunnies in an underground nest beneath his apricot tree. Last month, I joyfully emptied that tree of as many of the jewels as I could reach and then Sir Flying Ace brought me another sack that he had gathered. Mr. Fix-It and I have a young apricot tree, but it will not be ready to produce for another two years. From Sir Flying Ace, I got enough apricots to make some amazing jam, some baby food for the grandbaby and a goodly amount of dehydrated halves for snacks and dried apricot fried pies. I thought I’d give a few pictures of what that included. Apricot Jam 5 exact cups diced fruit (about 3-1/2 lb. fully ripe apricots) 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 7 cups sugar, measured exactly into a separate bowl 1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin 1/2tsp. butter or margarine  Apricots are easy, easy to prepare. They are used – minus the pit – skin and all. All you have to do is make a cut all the way around the fruit, to the pit, and then pull the halves away to lift out the pit. The pit doesn’t even stick.  I use a food processor to chop my apricots. I use the pulse feature so that I don’t liquify them and make the pieces too small.  The chopped apricots are put into a large pot with lemon juice and the SureJel is sprinkled onto the fruit and stirred in until well dissolved. The butter is then added to keep frothing down.  On medium-high to high heat, the fruit is brought to a rolling boil. At this point, the sugar is added consistently and quickly as you stir. I use a wire whisk to stir the jam as I pour in the sugar. It is important to have the sugar measured out ahead of time because you will not have time to do that once the fruit has started boiling. Anyway, once the sugar is stirred in well, bring the jam back to a rolling boil and boil for one minute.  After one minute of boiling, remove the pot from heat and skim any froth off of the top with a spoon. You can put the froth into a bowl and use for jam yourself. Removing the froth just makes the jars prettier.  Ladle the hot jam into sterilized jelly jars to 1/2″ head space.  Wipe rims of jars with a warm, wet cloth to remove any drips or oils from your hands.  Place lids that have been warming in hot water onto the jars. Add rings and tighten and then back them off a smidge.  Place in a waterbath canner of warm water and process for 15 minutes.  I also dehydrated a bunch of apricot halves. First, I cut the halves into a very large bowl and tossed them with a couple of tablespoons of Fruit Fresh. The apricots are not skinned.  I then toss about 1/2 cup of sugar into approximately two gallons of apricot halves because I like for there to be a little bit of a glaze when they are dried.  The halves are placed on the dehydrator trays. The trays have been sprayed with olive oil to keep the apricots from sticking.  I store the dried apricots in quart jars that have been vacuum sealed with a FoodSaver.  |
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Tags: apricot, dehydrated, food processing, fruits, jam
Yummy. Looks good!!! The apricots are so pretty
When you get hooked back up you must post the recipe for the fired pies. Anything apricots is a winner in my book. Here in California where, you are correct, we have apricots. its such a quick season. It really need to last much longer for me. I only was able to get one batch of apricot almond jam made and hopefully that will last till next year.
Glad to see all is well, I was gettin’ worried.
I will do that eventually, Herdog!! I have started to put up fried pies several times and then get sidetracked!! Must be awesome to live in apricot country!! And you are entered, btw. 🙂
During my nautical daze aboard the Yeller Submarine I made a yogurt pie that was quit similar. Very tasty, but trying to sell folks on a Yogurt Pie was not an easy chore. It has now been many a year so maybe I will buy a quart of raw yogurt and throw one together.
The days are growing shorter which has caused my baking hormones to become hyperactive. Just baked a batch of Cowboy Cookies, which I took to art class this morning–not a single cookie arrived safely back home.
I notice how wonderfully Lo-cal it is .Maybe I will save this ‘receipt’ and make it for Christmas and it can be my gift to myself.
Micheala, you could call it Probiotic Pie!! Yep. My baking is kicking in too. And you are entered in the drawing!!
Barbara, that is the best kinda gift!! 🙂 You are entered.
Looks yummy. Can’t help but notice your dishes. Are they the Liberty Blue pattern? My mother-in-law had a partial set which my son has since laid claim to. I keep my eye out to supplement what he has, so the edges of yours caught my eye. they are similar if not the same pattern! Sorry to ramble on. Enjoying this site Thanks so much!
That looks so good..I may have to try..we love sweets and dont need them..lol
Jackie, my dishes are the 1950’s Royal Currier and Ives china. Each type of piece has a different Currier and Ive’s theme on it. Kinda cool actually. But I just have to make sure the scenes are right side up when I set the table!! 🙂
Looks like a fantastic lineup. Will be waiting patiently for English Rose soap to become available.
4 weeks from today, Chairman!
That’s why I haven’t seen many new posts! You’ve been busy making soap:) Have fun
Jackie, I know. It’s like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. One post a week is about all I can manage right now!!