Loads of apricots!

[Toots4120]

I'd love some ideas as to what you might do with about 15# of fresh apricots. I've already made 3 batches of jam so don't need that. Also have made two apricot/cherry crumbles (Greens has a great "recipe" which I've made so many times I just improvise now). However, if anyone can suggest a good recipe for apricot butter, I'd realllly appreciate that (most I've seen use dried apricots). Salsa? Chutney? ??? I really want to use up quantities - not just a couple of pieces of fruit as so many good recipes indicate. Thanks in advance!

[Father Kitchen]

Marcella Hazan gives a wonderful recipe for crema di albicocche. I've often wondered why that couldn't be used as the main filling of an apricot meringue pie.

[Toots4120]

I've googled this and can only find Italian versions - a prob since I don't know Italian! Is it anything like the apricot meringue pie listed in the Recipes section at the bottom of this page? Sounds wonderful . . . .

[Caitlin McGrath]

Here's the recipe for Hazan's apricot cream (crema di albicocche): http://archives.cnn.com/2000/FOOD/new...

[Father Kitchen]

I'd never seen an apricot meringue pie. But since the filling of a lemon meringue pie is a lot like lemon creme, I figured the apricot creme could be used as a pie filling. Thanks to Caitlin for the Hazan recipe. I can't see why it couldn't be put in a pie shell and topped with a meringue.

[magiesmom]

here's one from CHOW
http://www.chow.com/recipes/30425-apr...

[chefathome]

Fill them with nougat and grill until the nougat is nice and gooey. Sublime.

[Toots4120]

Guess what I'm doing this beautiful day?! Cooking apricots! Thanks for some great ideas - every one of these is worthy of trying. I'm starting with the butter and the salsa - will see what's left after that. Will let you know how it goes . . .

[Toots4120]

Well - a failure and a terrific success. First the failure: apricot butter. It was a disaster. I suspect I tried to do too much of it at once - 12 cups of puree in the crock pot at once just wouldn't cook down. (After almost 24 hours, it was down about 1/2 but that was still liquidy.) I had it on low for a while and was getting no where so turned to med-high and that burned it while turning the whole thing an icky brown color (despite some lemon juice - maybe not enough?). It was so bad I wound up throwing the whole thing out. However, the chutney was fabulous - that's something I'll make more of next year (when I have another 25# box of fruit!).

[fourunder]

Sun-Dried.....

[Harters]

Apricot chutney:

1.5kg apricots
750g onion
250g raisins
500ml malt vinegar
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1teaspoon chilli powder
a little cinnamon (or none - I can't stand cinnamon)
1 teaspoon turmeric
500g soft brown sugar
Zest & juice of 1 orange & 1 lemon

Whizz the apricot and onion in a food prcessor. Put in pan with the raisins and half the vinegar, salt and spices. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add everything else and simmer with lid off until thick (couple of hours?)

Produces about 2kg of chutney and it'll last for ages in the cupboard.

(I've also made this with peaches and nectarines instead of apricots)

[weezieduzzit]

That sounds great and I have some cara cara oranges to use up. I'll have to see if I can find some apricots now. (We already ate all of the peaches the neighbor brought over.)

[magiesmom]

There is a nice not very sweet apricot crisp on Smitten Kitchen.

[mike9]

I like to make grilled fruit salsas. First I roast some jalapenos on the grill and when they are done I put then in a small saucepan with a tight lid to steam.

Slice pineapple 3/4" thick, slice peaches in half, slice apricots in half, slice mango in half. Slather the cut fruit with cocoanut oil.

While the peppers are steaming put the slathered fruit on a hot grill. You want grill marks as that = carmelization.

When cool dice the fruit and add to bowl with lime juice, sea salt to taste add fresh cilantro and diced red onion.

Peel and seed the peppers and chop them up. Add the peppers to the salsa and taste for heat. They are spicy from the roasting process. Mix and enjoy!!

You can make a large batch and then puree and freeze what you don't eat. It makes a great sauce base.

[HillJ]

http://www.marthastewart.com/337154/a...
Apricot Cheesecake Bars.

[twyst]

I absolutely love braised chicken with apricots. Served with some couscous it makes a great, simple meal.

[ChiliDude]

I second the motion!

[hotoynoodle]

make ice cream. or improvise it with fruit pureed with good cream and frozen.

you can also cut the fruit, toss with a bit of sugar and freeze in ziplocs. the fruit may brown a bit, but the flavor remains excellent. a nice treat come winter.

[Querencia]

Fruit Fresh is natural ascorbic acid. It is sold with spices or in canning equipment departments. One teaspoon tossed with fruit will prevent browning, as of peaches or apricots.

[wyogal]

I've made butters by putting the fruit in a slow-cooker, adding sugar, and a bit of apple juice as liquid (pectin in it helps). I put it on low for a long time, then on high with the lid ajar so that it reduces. Yes, modern slowcookers are hot enough, and there is enough sugar in this to make it safe. You can pass the fruit through a food mill, or use an immersion blender (be careful with hot stuff, though!).
How about drying them yourself?