Fresh apricots there for the picking

Mail Tribune, OR
July 19 2006

By REBECCA WOOD

For those who have dallied amid apricot trees bearing ripe fruit,
it makes perfect sense that nectar was the drink of the gods.

Though my Oxford English Dictionary does not associate the apricot
with nectar, common usage does, and it’s an association that I have
never doubted.

These aromatic, sensuous, buttery fruits originated in Armenia and
were purportedly brought to the West by Alexander the Great. The word
apricot is from the Latin, praecoquum, and means "early ripe."

The best apricots are plump, juicy and soft. Their malic and citric
acid content give a lemony, plum-like flavor to this otherwise sweet
fruit. It’s a cousin to peaches, plums, almonds and cherries.

For an apricot to have a good flavor, it must be fully ripe when
picked; it then keeps no more than a few days. This explains why
most of the commercial crop are canned, preserved or dried and only
8 percent are available fresh.

We’re fortunate to have a local and organic U-Pick orchard – Valley
View Orchards in Ashland. They provide the buckets, and you can
harvest your own or purchase already-picked apricots.

Call 488-2840 for directions and hours. Valley View Orchards kindly
provides shady picnic tables for customers. So indulge yourself
for an afternoon of pleasure. Should you miss the apricot season,
the nectarine and peach season are close at hand.

Look for apricots during early summer and purchase those that yield
to a light touch and are golden all over with a rosy blush. Avoid
firm apricots with traces of green – they’ll remain sour.

Also avoid those that are overly soft, bruised, wilted or shriveled,
as they quickly decay. Handle apricots tenderly, as they bruise easily
and bruising causes rapid spoiling.

Apricots are delicious both raw and cooked. Raw, enjoy them out of
hand or add them to chutney, salsa, fresh fruit soup, smoothies,
sorbet, ice cream, salad or yogurt dishes or use as a garnish.

Cooked apricots enhance pies, cakes, crumbles and quick breads and can
be canned, candied or stewed. Their sweet-but-tart flavor compliments
meat – traditionally pork, veal and poultry. Substitute apricots
freely for peaches, mangos, papaya or nectarines.

Unlike the skin of apples or peaches, apricot skins are so tender
that they don’t require peeling. Once pitted, a squeeze of lemon
juice prevents the flesh from darkening.

Refrigerate apricots to prevent over-ripening and plan to use them
as quickly as possible. To heighten their flavor, however, serve at
room temperature.

Apricots have laxative properties. As their bright orange color
indicates, they’re an excellent source of beta carotene an antioxidant
that may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Apricots are an excellent source of copper, cobalt and iron. These
minerals make them medicinal for blood-related disorders such as
anemia, acne, toxemia and tuberculosis.

Apricot kernels are a good source of amygdaline. This controversial
compound is thought to prevent cancer. It’s also known as vitamin
B-17 and laetrile.

In excess, however, the kernels may
be poisonous, so use with caution. See
ries/02life.htm.