Trivia
o In Latin, apricot means "precious," a label earned because apricots ripen earlier than the other summer fruits.
o Apricots originally came from China and have been around for more than 4,000 years.
o The first recorded major production of apricots in America was in 1792 south of San Francisco.
o In the United States, 95% of apricots grow in the San Joaquin Valley and other parts of northern California.
Selection and Storage:
Apricots should be well-formed and fairly firm. Pick apricots that are dark yellow or yellow-orange in color. Apricots are very fragile. They should not be handled roughly or stored at high room temperatures. To ripen apricots, place them in a sealed plastic or paper bag and keep them at room temperature. Avoid apricots that are dull looking, soft, mushy or extremely firm. Bruised areas will be obviously brown.
Nutritional Information:
Serving Size- 3 apricots (114g)
Calories: 60
Fat: 1 gram
Sodium: 0 milligrams
Protein: 0 grams
Carbohydrate: 11 grams
Dietary Fiber: 1 gram
Potassium: 312 grams
Vitamin A: 45% of U.S. RDA
Vitamin C: 20% of U.S. RDA
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 2%
Recipes:
Apricot Pork Medallions
INGREDIENTS:
o 1 pound pork tenderloin
o 2 tablespoons butter-divided
o ¼ cup flour
o ½ cup dried apricots-chopped
o 2 green onions-sliced
o ¼ teaspoon wine vinegar
o 2 teaspoons brown sugar
o chili flakes
Cut tenderloins crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Flatten each piece slightly with heel of hand. Lightly dust pork with flour, salt and pepper on a plate. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown medallions, about 2 minutes on each side.
Add remaining ingredients to skillet with remaining tablespoon of butter. Cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove medallions to serving platter.
Apricot Whole Wheat Crepes
INGREDIENTS:
o 1 and ½ cups nonfat milk
o ¾ cup whole wheat flour
o 3 eggs
o 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
o ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
o oil
o 1 and ½ cups orange juice
o 2 tablespoons cornstarch
o ½ cup seedless raisins
o ½ cup chopped walnuts
o 1 16-oz can canned apricot halves--drained
o vanilla yogurt
Combine milk, flour, eggs, butter and cinnamon in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or until mixture is consistency of heavy cream.
Lightly brush bottom and sides of 7" skillet with oil. Heat skillet, briefly, over medium low heat. Pour in a scant ¼ cup batter. Tip skillet to coat the bottom with batter.
Cook crepe until top is set and the underside is lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn crepe with a metal spatula and cook other side about 1 minute. Slip crepe onto wax paper and repeat with remaining batter, stacking each crepe between wax paper. Set aside.
Combine orange juice and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Heat to boiling. Boil mixture 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it is thick and clear. Stir in raisins and walnuts. Remove from heat and stir in apricots. Spoon small amount of hot filling down center of each crepe. Fold crepe over filling. Garnish with a dollop of vanilla yogurt.
Jason Dick is an Internet Security Specialist and web author whose most recent notable work can be found at http://home.stopsign.com. He has also worked for seven years in the food services industry and is writing a series of articles regarding current food trends, many of which contain recipes for the website: http://recipefor.com
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