One reason we LoVe SumMEr, Our Beautiful Apricots!

When We first Bought our Home a Year and a Half ago, We thought we had Cherry Trees in our Yard and couldn't wait for Cherry Pie:o) SURPRISE! Apricots it is! and Very Sweet and Juicy too! We still had No idea what to do with this Precious Fruit this Season, BESIDES eat eat eat, and eat 'em until we couldn't any longer, haa haaaa. H Man Loves them, and is fascinated altogether with eating stuff straight from the plant/ or tree. So in honor of that we planted a mini veggie garden, hoping to encourage our little man to eat more of them! Daddy-O and I are hoping to learn how to CAN better and would love to make some jam next year. Our Lovely Uncle W knows how to Brew Wine~ so maybe we can convince him to help us make a few bottles next season too. We did make our own Dried Apricots, and I have to say they turned out pretty good!

We'll be ready Next Season Though!

Since we own Apricots now, we went on a 'Hunt' to learn more about this fruit and what we can do with 'em... here are some Fun Facts we found and thought it'd be fun to share with all of you:

ENJOY your APRICOTS :o)

History:
Apricots originated in China and were introduced to the United States by Spanish explorers. The first commercially produced apricots were grown south of San Francisco in 1792.

Handling Storage and Care
Apricots should be stored at room temperature until ripe. Refrigerating apricots before they reach the desired ripeness will stop the ripening process. Apricots can be placed in a paper bag to speed up ripening.

** Choose an apricot that has an even orange color. When ripe, the apricot should give to gentle pressure. Avoid apricots that has brown spots or feels mushy.

**Apricots, like other orange fruits and vegetables, are high in beta carotene. Apricots are also fat-free, sodium-free, cholesterol-free, high in vitamin A, high in vitamin C and a good source of potassium.

Fun Facts

• Apricot trees generally grow to be 12 to 15 feet tall and will produce fruit for 20 to 25 years.
• In Latin, apricot means precious. It probably refers to the fact that apricots ripen earlier than other summer fruit.

**Apricots are most often eaten out of hand like a peach or nectarine. Apricots should be washed and can be eaten whole. Apricots can also be sliced off the pit and eaten. Apricots can be halved and filled with cream cheese and nuts and served as an appetizer. Apricots can also be used as a topping or a sweet ingredient in salads.

Freezing

Enjoy the taste of apricots year-round by freezing fresh product when it is in season. Halve or slice the apricot and freeze them in syrup made from water, sugar and ascorbic acid.

Baking

Apricots can be used like many other stone fruits in pies, cobblers and breakfast cakes. When using apricots in a pie or cobbler, slice and add sugar before adding to the pie.

Cooking

Apricots are a fruity addition to stuffing and can be used to make wine or brandy. Apricots are also tasty when made into syrup.