I am going to have a glut of them this year; I'm thrilled as last year was the first time my young tree came into fruit (about 30 wonderful large juicy globes......Mmmmmm !). This year there must be about 250 (at least) of them & they are getting larger & riper everyday. I check them everyday because I am so excited. I am already picking the plums on the tree which is next to it.
My dehydrator arrived from Lakeland today so now I know I can dry some. I have plans for tarts & cakes using them along with eating lots raw; there is nothing like a sun-ripened apricot eaten raw & warm.
Guess what I found this morning in my email box...........
http://www.kitchenbloodykitchen.com/2011/07/liquor.....he_12.html
Now you will have to get your machine to translate it for you as it is in Italian.
Ooooooh!!!!!!!..... I am so over the moon about all this. I will let you know how it all goes.
PS. The variety I have is called "Tomcot" & is a later flowering variety. It is now about 10ft tall.
"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."
from Les Miserables
My neighbour left some apricots on my doorstep a couple of days ago, about a dozen very large apple-sized fruits.
Last year, he gave me kilos of 'em - easy decision to make jam then.
So what to do with these, then I suddenly remembered that I had brought back from France some white peaches. Despite having transported them very well-protected and two weeks ago, I thought I may discover a mess of peach flesh, but no, very happily surprised to find them very firm, and with deep purple-y skin.
I have made some gorgeous peach and apricot jam. I've used small-ish jars, but ended up with 9 jars. This jam/conserve has a wonderfully fruity flavour.
Do you have a use for the kernels inside the stones? I roasted some under a fire and they were very nice but don't know if I may have poisoned myself. Am I right that they contain cyanide?
Having said that, I read somewhere that there is a community in Nepal (I think) who live on millet and apricots, stones as well ( I expect they mean kernels) and there have never been any reported cases of cancer in that community. I'm sure it was in The Lancet, the missus was writing a piece on allergic diseases and I was reading all the reference matter she had and saw that one.
It'll be in the loft somewhere I'm sure, I'll pop up there at the weekend and see if I can find it.
I'm rambling a bit
Anyway, any use for the kernels?
Well, that didn't go quite as expected
Yes, Tim, the last lot of apricot jam that I made last year, I broke open every stone and used all the kernels in the jam - lovely almond-y flavour. I added them after the jam was cooked.
See: here Apparently, they have an anti-cancer property - amygdalin.
Ah the blackthorn flower, my little hit of spring time almond flavouring. I love almonds and since eating my first blackthorn flower, which tastes strongly of almonds I find I can't help but pick them by the handful whenever out walking in the spring. For me strangely addictive. Can't explain it anymore than that really. my wife doesn't understand it and I don't suppose I do to be honest, but it's just the pungent taste I can't get enough of it.
Well, that didn't go quite as expected
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