Because they tend to ripen unevenly, an apricot may be soft and jam-like on its sun-kissed side, and hard on the other. Look for plump, firm fruit with reasonably uniform color and a blush that begins at the stem end and spreads down and across the cheeks. A ripe apricot should yield ever so slightly to the touch. Prevent over-ripening by keeping them cool, or storing those that are ready to eat in the refrigerator for up to one week.
When you’ve had your fill of fresh apricots, there are all kinds of ways to extend the short season: Can them, or halve and pit them for the freezer, where they hold up beautifully. Poach, roast, and bake with them. Make brandy and preserves. As is the case with peaches, when apricots are good, they are very, very good. And when they are less stellar than last year’s crop, they still make gorgeous jam.
Their full, honeyed flavor and heavy, sweet perfume are balanced by an acidity that makes apricots equally suited to cooking and baking, in both sweet and savory applications. My favorite summer salad combines warm orzo (dressed with a “vinaigrette” made from olive oil, grated fresh ginger, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt) with diced fresh apricots, scallions, cilantro and sliced almonds. Basil is delicious too, especially if pine nuts stand in for the almonds. Squishy, overripe apricots cooked down with sweet onions, honey, and mustard seeds become a glaze that brightens pork and chicken, while firm, ripe fruit shines in a salsa with lime juice, jalapeño, and cilantro, for grilled fish.
When it comes to sweets, lavender and lemon verbena are among the apricot’s loveliest sidekicks; use them to infuse a simple syrup for sorbet or poaching. Apricots make for a gorgeous upside-down cake and a fine tarte tatin, looking for all the world like egg yolks perched on a caramel canvas. The marriage of apricots, honey, and almonds is pure Provençal, a tasty triumvirate on a par with other heavenly combinations that recall summer: BLTs and Negronis (Campari, gin and vermouth). So here’s to a season — short but sweet — of three’s: apricot ice cream, sorbet, and gelato; apricot cobbler, crumble, and crisp; and apricot tarts — frangipane, custard, and Provençal.
[Recipe by Ellen - Apricot Tart Provençal with Almonds and Honey]
Ellen Jackson is a Portland-based writer and food stylist.
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