July was the month our Apricot tree was ready for picking… so we picked… and picked… and picked… all month long. It was an incredible amount of apricots. We ate them fresh, baked, jammed, gave some away, juiced, dehydrated them, and still ended up with 28lbs in our freezer. So as you can imagine, I used those apricots in every way possible. If we were having salad, I threw in apricots, if we had chicken, I marinated it in apricots. Pork loin? Apricot glaze. You get the idea. But it’s safe to say, no one got tired of that little golden fruit. They were delicious and a wonderful flavor burst for the many dishes (and drinks) we made this past month. So I thought I’d share our month of apricots.
For our first harvest we had to pick from the top of the tree. And when I say “we” I mean Jake. Because no one else wanted to climb a ladder that was standing on a table. But that’s usually how we roll. And by “we,” I mean Jake. Picked that one a bit too soonJust right.Time for these kids to earn their keep.Professional seed extractor.Ready to dehydrate for winter snacks.
Apricot-Walnut Salad with an Apricot Vinaigrette
I thoroughly enjoyed this salad. It was so refreshing and delicious. We grew romaine lettuce in the garden this year and it turned out beautifully so I made this salad topped with sliced apricots, walnuts, chia seeds, craisins, cheese, and a homemade-apricot vinaigrette. For the dressing, I used this recipe below but subbed out the raspberry purée with apricot purée https://downshiftology.com/recipes/raspberry-vinaigrette/We then used the vinaigrette and some Zaatar seasoning to marinade chicken. We especially liked this one. It made a great Summer meal. Not too heavy and so much flavor. I marinated the chicken for around 8 hrs, grilled it, and made paninis with an apricot-chili sauce, basil, onions, cheese, and sourdough bread. Paired it with some oven-baked fries… Delicious.This chicken would also be incredible on gyros, flatbreads, and salad.
Apricot Jam
Another way we used the apricots was by making batches of jam. I used this recipe below and was very happy with the results. You can’t got wrong with jam because of it’s versatility. Still hoping to make apricot-hand pies using Shaye Elliot’s recipe. Her hand pies call for berries but can easily be swapped out for any jam hand pies: https://youtu.be/PrJg7oF_TBU jam: https://itsnotcomplicatedrecipes.com/apricot-jam/
Honey-Thyme Apricots
A really simple and lovely way to enjoy apricots is with honey and thyme. Just slice the apricots, drizzle your desired amount of honey over top, and sprinkle with thyme. The thyme adds an subtle but aromatic flavor. Be sure to eat/serve right away though, as the apricots will brown and the juices will release the longer it soaks in honey.
Apricot Puff Pastry
You could also get a little fancier and place the honey-thyme apricots on puff pastry. (Just be sure to brush the edges of the puff pastry with an egg wash) It makes a very pretty and light dessert.You can find one of my favorite puff pastry recipes is here: https://bakingamoment.com/easy-homemade-puff-pastry-recipe/
Apricot-Glazed-Pork Loin
I had som pork loin on hand so I decided to make a glaze for it with the apricot jam. I can’t tell you the exact measurements I used, but I mixed together approximately: 1/2 cupapricot jam 1tbs Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbs ketchup 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp garlic powder pinch of salt I then smoked the pork loins on the smoker and paired it with garlic mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. This one was definitely a hit with the family and I’ll be making it again soon.
Apricot-TeriyakiPork and SobaNoodles
We ended up only eating one of the pork loins that evening for dinner, so the next day I made some Japanese soba noodles with an apricot-teriyaki sauce and sliced the pork very thin. Pretty sure I could make this meal every week and no one would complain. Again, I don’t have a recipe for the sauce, but I mixed (approximately): 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup apricot jam 1/4 cup ketchup 2 tsp garlic powder (or 4 cloves crushed garlic) 1Tbs Italian seasoning 1/4 tsp red chili flakes For the noodles I just cooked them according to the package, sautéed onions and carrots, mixed it all together with the sauce, and topped it with the thinly-sliced pork. Now excuse me while I go make this again…
Apricot Water Kefir
Water Kefir was something I really wanted to get into this Summer. It’s a delicious probiotic drink, excellent for your gut health, and a great alternative to soda. I ordered my grains from Amazon (http://Yemoos Dried Organic Water Kefir Grains https://a.co/d/8Lmx7nb) and followed the instructions by Lisa bass from Farmhouse on Boone (https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/how-to-make-homemade-water-kefir-soda) except instead of adding juice to the second fermentation, I added approximately 1/2 cup of chopped apricot to each bottle. It was so good and the kids especially enjoyed it.It was a great harvest and I couldn’t be more thankful to my parents for purchasing us this tree 5 years ago. It was a beautiful gift and we enjoyed the harvest.
“And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”
sentiment of home 
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