6.24.2012

Apricots Galore

I don't have the expectation that there will be any fruit on my apricot tree. In the 10 or so years that I've lived in my house, the apricot tree fruited once. Although the tree is planted in my yard about a third of the tree's limbs hang over on Lucille's, my neighbor's yard. Lucille had commented that the last time the tree fruited, she had picked about a handful of fruit or enough to make an apricot cobbler. I had picked about two handfuls of fruit that year. Needless to say, it wasn't a bumper crop.  
That same year, you could drive down Agua Fria Street and see people pulling over to pluck apricots. There is a row of apricot trees on one side of the street that is not flanking any houses. The sidewalk was littered with them. Alas, my house was not littered with them that year. 
Due to intermittent warming and freezing in winter and spring, I haven't had any apricots in six or seven years. The apricot tree has gotten unwieldy and I have considered chopping it down. This year the tree had lots of blossoms, but there was another freeze. I assumed, the tree would not bear fruit and mostly forgot about it. One day my neighbor stopped me as I pulled into the driveway from work. She asked if, "I noticed the fruit on our apricot tree?" I had, but only a single or pair of fruit here and there. 

Nothing had prepared me for this year's bounty. When I arrived home from work on Friday, there were apricots scattered all over the ground in the backyard. I started gathering them with the hope that they wouldn't entice my dog, Aster. I called my neighbor and left a message about the apricots falling and put a tarp over the ground so they wouldn't be damaged falling from the tree. 
After overindulging in freshly picked apricots Friday night, I've been zealously looking up apricot recipes. The first recipe I tried is for an Apricot Clafouti. The recipe I used is for a Cherry Clafouti from the Joy of Baking. A clafouti is a custard like dessert from the Limousin region of France and is traditionally made with cherries. I chose this recipe over others because it only required 20 minutes of baking. It was simple to make for a non-baker like myself and served four. Changes I might make the next time are: add some brandy or other liqueur, add lemon zest, and a pinch more salt for the batter.

I hope everyone has a bumper crop of something this year. Who knew I would have so many apricots? I'm joining the "Garden To Table Challenge" hosted by Wendy at Greenish Thumb. Check out what other gardeners are cooking from their gardens this week. 

24 comments:

  1. I do not know how it is here this year with apricots. Last year I got a lot of apricots, I made jam and compote. I like cakes with apricot.

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    1. Daniela, compotes sound delicious. I've thinking of grilling the apricots, to and serving with ice cream.

      Daniela, kompóty zvuk vynikajúce. Ja som myslel grilovanie na marhule, aby slúžil a so zmrzlinou.

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  2. Lucky you! I have had the same problems with my apricot tree, just a bowlful most years. This year, I got a total of 5 apricots :(, so no bumper crop for me... Eggplants look good, and my grapes have done really well, so I do have some consolation.

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    1. Masha, usually not even a bowlful of apricots most years so I'm especially fortunate this year. I love grilled eggplant. I hope my eggplant does as well as yours.

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  3. That looks delicious! My husband is always asking me why we can't grow apricots. Everything I've read is that they don't grow well in Georgia so even though you may only get a crop every 10 years you are lucky. I love apricots; fresh, dried or baked! Good thing you didn't chop your tree down :O)

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    1. Karin, it's unbelievable how many apricots I have. I picked almost a bucket of the low hanging fruit and invited my neighbors to take as much they wanted.

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  4. Big congrats, Theta. I rarely try growing food, but your determination and success inspire. Happy eating.

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    1. Lee, I feel more successful as a vegetable gardener than a flower gardener. However, the apricots were pure serendipity and nothing to do on my part. Just the luck of the draw this year.

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  5. Tak to jest z tymi drzewami owocowym, albo ich jest czasami za dużo, albo ich nie ma prawie wcale. Dobrze, że Ci wystarczyło owoców na placek.Zdjęcia owoców sa smakowite.Pozdrawiam.
    So it is with these fruit trees, or they are sometimes too much, or they do not nearly all. Well, that was enough fruit on your cake. Pictures of the fruits are delicious. Yours.

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    1. Giga, I think I will have lots of apricot dishes to try. The fruit has been sweeter than any I've purchased at the store.

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  6. Wow - how fabulous that you got a bunch of fruit this year!! I'm so jealous of people with fruit trees. that would be so fun. The clafouti looks awesome.

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    1. Thanks for hosting Wendy. The clafouti was so easy to make. I will want it for brunch all the time.

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  7. Apricots are one of my favorite fruits and are always expensive here. How fabulous to have a tree full of them. I love clafouti. Yum!!

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    1. Apricots are expensive here, too. I've been scouring the Internet for apricot recipes.

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  8. A new meme...who knew. My sister has an apricot in her mtn AZ garden and has had the same issue with not getting much fruit...how wonderful that you had a bumper crop. One of my most favorite fruits and juices. I would be over to help you cook and eat them if I lived close by :) I have a bumper crop of roses and peas so far!

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    1. Donna, I wish I could give you some. I've brought some to work and invited friends over to pick them. I wish I could grow roses, but I think they're a flower best left to others.

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  9. They can up in jars beautifully. Also, the nuts inside the pits are edible, and snacky

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  10. Oh, yum! I miss tree-ripened apricots! The ones from the store are almost always mealy and dry. Even the farmers market I go to here sells them green enough that they usually rot before they ripen. One bumper crop every 10 years seems worth it!

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  11. How fabulous that you have so many apricots this year! It seems funny that plants seem to try to reproduce the most just as we think they won't do much! Your recipe looks yummy, too!

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  12. Congratulations on your unexpected bounty.I like apricots, but never had them baked in anything. I too had a bumper crop of roses. Great year for them.

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  13. What an impressive crop! (Even if it only happens once in a blue moon) That Clafouti sounds delicious. (I've never heard of it before.) Maybe something to try in the future.

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  14. Wonderful! Sometimes mentally threatening a plant with the axe works. I hope you ate the whole clafouti yourself.

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  15. Just when you had all but given up hope, your apricot tree found a way to surprise you with abundant fruit. Your clafouti looks delicious!

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  16. In response to your comment - Fish emulsion is a great all purpose fertilizer, but the kelp works better with stressed plants. It shouldn't be hard to find if you decide to give it a try. :o)

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