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With the onset of hot days, the first fragrant apricots appear on the shelves – one of the brightest signs of an abundant summer. The special taste makes it possible to use apricots with equal success both in desserts and in combination with meat or vegetables.
Apricots entered Europe from Asia: Alexander the Great brought them to the Greco-Roman world under the name of the “Armenian apple”, borrowing them from the Persians, who in turn adopted this fruit culture from the Chinese, who grew apricot trees two thousand years before Christ.
In Russia, apricot appeared at the end of the XNUMXth century and for a long time remained a rare, expensive and exquisite delicacy. So, at the court of Nicholas I, airy curd soufflé with apricots was mentioned in the list of dishes intended for ceremonial dinners.
Apricots are grown today in various regions of our country (some varieties ripen even in Altai), but those that come from warmer regions are still considered the best: from Armenia, Uzbekistan or Tajikistan.
Sour and sweet
Despite the fact that in the sweetest varieties of apricot, the sugar content can reach 84%, this fruit is characterized by a rather high acidity. To feel it, it is enough to take a bite of the fruit: while the flesh of an apricot is juicy and sweet, its thin, velvety skin always has a sour taste. Sour and sweet alternate with each other and, mixing in the mouth, leave an invigorating aftertaste. This property makes the apricot so attractive fresh, but it also allows you to combine it with a variety of products: cottage cheese and potatoes, meat and nuts, various cereals and eggs. Added at the last stage to the usual vegetable stew, lamb stew or any kind of pilaf, apricots will give the dish an exquisite fruity note and a slight sweet and sour tint, in fresh salads they will perfectly set off the taste of vegetables or herbs, and in combination with beaten eggs and powdered sugar they will turn a simple omelette into a holiday treat.
After the fruits have been plucked from the tree, they can be stored in a cool place for several weeks. At the same time, the apricot almost does not ripen, but every day it loses its acid. So if you want to use fresh, uncooked apricots in a sweet dessert, purchase them ahead of time and refrigerate them with paper wrap. In a few days they will acquire a pronounced sweet taste.
Hidden features
No matter how tasty the tender apricot pulp is, do not forget about the contents of the apricot pit. Miniature nuts, enclosed in a hard brown shell, taste like almonds. If the peeled nucleoli are lightly fried, and then split into two parts, they can decorate an open apricot pie. In addition, they have an amazing ability to enhance the taste of apricot jam, making it richer and richer. However, only seeds of cultivated apricot varieties are suitable for food – when acquiring a small and sour semi-wild pole, it is better to throw away the seeds: they contain hydrocyanic acid in excess, which is very bitter and can cause poisoning.
Save for a long time
The most popular way to preserve apricots is, of course, to make jam from them. However, if you do not like excessive sweetness, try another way: for this, large, strong apricots need to be peeled and, after removing the seeds, placed tightly in a glass jar. Boil compote from small, less beautiful apricots (sugar can be omitted), strain it thoroughly and pour boiling broth over the fruits placed in a jar, then tighten the lid tightly and sterilize in a water bath for 20 minutes. In this form, canned fruits will fully retain their taste, allowing you to enjoy an incomparable sunny aroma in anticipation of the next apricot season.
Salad of herbs, leaves and flowers with apricot shavings
For 4 servings. Cooking time: 25 minutes.
- 8 strong apricots
- fresh herbs (cilantro, chives, basil, mint, thyme)
- 50 g of young shoots of spinach, mustard, arugula, chard beets (preferably with inflorescences)
- 40 grams of red currant
- 50 g blueberries
- 3 art. l. almond or other nut butter
- 2 tbsp. l. honey or balsamic vinegar
- coarse sea salt, ground pepper
Strip the leaves from the twigs, separate the florets and set aside. Mix the greens in a salad bowl, season with oil and vinegar, add salt and pepper and mix gently. Slice the apricots thinly and arrange among four plates. Put the mixture from the salad bowl on top of the apricots, sprinkle with berries and florets on top. This salad can be prepared with other seasonal herbs or sprinkled with almonds or hazelnuts.
Apricots in honey with strawberry puree
For 4 servings. Cooking time: 25 minutes + 3 hours chilling.
- 6 ripe apricots
- 2 tbsp. l. acacia or flower honey
- 250 г клубники
- 125 g gelling sugar
- 12 fresh lemon balm leaves
- for decoration – fresh mint leaves
Mash the berries and sugar with a fork, mix and rub through a sieve to remove the seeds. Transfer the puree to a saucepan and cook for 5 minutes over high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add lemon balm leaves, then cool and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cut the apricots in half, split the pit and remove the kernel. Before serving, heat the honey in a non-stick skillet and fry the apricots over high heat for 1 minute on each side. Divide them onto plates. Fill the hollows in the apricots with strawberry puree, garnish with apricot kernel halves, mint and fresh flowers.