Apricots Add Delicate Flavor, Texture and Color to Meals

Fresh apricots are noted for their fragrance, flavor, and velvety surface. These peachlike fruits are rich in beta carotene, vitamin C, iron and potassium. Three fresh apricots provide over half the RDA for vitamin A.

Selection. When fully ripe, apricots will yield to gentle pressure and have a fragrant aroma. Skins should be smooth and velvety.

If apricots are not quite ripe, choose apricots that are plump, firm, and orange-gold color. Store in a paper bag at room temperature, away from heat or direct sunlight, for two or three days.

Avoid bruised or soft apricots with shriveled skins. Avoid hard fruit that is tinged with green, since these will never develop full flavor.

Store ripe apricots in the refrigerator for a day or two at the most. Don’t wash fruit until ready to eat them.

Fresh apricots are available mid-May through mid-August. Enjoy apricots fresh at room temperature, or use in any recipe that calls for nectarines, or fresh, frozen or canned peaches. Chopped dried apricots are a popular ingredient in cookies, quickbreads, and coffee cakes.

Preparation. Wash apricots in cold running water before using them. To halve apricots, cut down to the pit around the longitudinal seam and twist the two halves to separate them. Discard the pit. Dip peeled or cut-up apricots into diluted lemon juice to keep from browning.

Freezing. Select firm, ripe, uniformly yellow apricots. Sort, wash, halve and pit. Peel and slice if desired. If apricots are not peeled, heat them in boiling water 30 seconds to keep skins from toughening during freezing. Cool in cold water and drain.

Syrup pack — Use 40 percent syrup. (See table below.) For a better quality frozen product, add 3/4 teaspoon crystalline ascorbic acid to each quart of syrup. Pack apricots directly into containers and cover with syrup, leave headspace, seal and freeze.

Syrup Strength	Percent Syrup	Sugar	Water	Yield
Extra Light	20%	1 1/2 cups	5 1/2 cups	6 cups
Light	30%	2 1/4 cups	5 1/4 cups	6 1/2 cups
Medium	40%	3 1/4 cups	5 cups	7 cups
Heavy	50%	4 1/4 cups	4 1/4 cups	7 cups

Sugar pack — Before combining apricots with sugar, treat with the following mixture to prevent darkening: 1/4 teaspoon crystalline ascorbic acid and 1/4 cup cold water.

Dissolve crystalline ascorbic acid in cold water and sprinkle over 1 quart (7/8 pound) of fruit. Mix 1/2 cup sugar with each quart of fruit. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pack apricots into containers and press down until fruit is covered with juice, leave headspace, seal and freeze.

Note: If crystalline ascorbic acid is hard to find, use a commercial ascorbic acid/citric acid prep-aration according to label directions. OR use crushed vitamin C tablets. Three thousand milligrams of vitamin C equals one teaspoon crystalline ascorbic acid.

Source: GH1502 Quality for Keeps: Freezing Fruit, University of Missouri Extension. 1998.

Canned Apricots — halved or sliced

Quantity. For each 7-quart canner load, you need an average of 16 pounds of fresh apricots. For each 9-pint canner load, you need an average of 10 pounds of fresh apricots.
A bushel weighs 50 pounds and yields 20 quarts to 25 quarts — an average of 2-1/4 pounds per quart.

Quality. Select firm, well-colored, mature fruit. Choose fruit at the ideal stage for eating fresh.
Hot pack. (Optional – Dip fruit in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until skins loosen. Dip quickly in cold water and slip off skins.) Wash fruit. Cut in half, remove pits and slice if desired.

To prevent darkening, keep peeled fruit in ascorbic acid solution. Prepare and boil a very light, light, or medium syrup or pack apricots in apple juice, or white grape juice. Raw packs make poor quality apricots.

Cook apricots in syrup one layer at a time until hot throughout. Pack hot apricots, cut side down, into hot jars, leaving ½-inch head space. Ladle hot syrup over apricots, leaving ½-inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece lid.

Process pints 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes, in a boiling water canner.

Note: Apricots may be canned with or without peel.

Source: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. 1994.

 

Other June 2004 Articles:
    Pack Sturdy Safe Snacks for Troops Overseas
    Apricots Add Delicate Flavor, Texture and Color to Meals
    Soft (unripened) Cheeses Require Care to Combat Listeria
    Syrup For Canning or Freezing
    Apricot Jam without Added Pectin