Honey-poached apricots

1 Cup

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
6 ounces Dried apricots or 2 lb fresh apricots, ripe but not overly soft
3 cups Water, preferably spring or filtered water
1 cup Granulated sugar
⅓ cup Flavorful unpasteurized honey, not buckwheat
½ large Vanilla bean or hull of 1 bean
1 (2 inch) cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons Lemon juice

Directions

If using dried apricots, bring the water to a boil. Separate each dried apricot into halves. Place in a bowl and pour boiling water over top; let soak overnight. Transfer apricots and soaking liquid to a heavy bottomed 2 quart saucepan.

If using fresh apricots, use a paring knife to cut fruit in half along the cleft. Remove stones. Place apricot halves in a heavy bottomed 2 quart saucepan with the water.

Add sugar, honey, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick and lemon juice to the apricots. Set a heatproof plate directly on top of the fruit, ensuring that every piece is submerged, but none is resting on the bottom.

Bring poaching liquid to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. The syrup should just simmer, not boil; lower heat if necessary. Poach until apricots are very soft, but not quite at the point of complete collapse, 30 to45 minutes. The fruit should resemble a compote, more than distinct apricot halves. With a slotted spoon, lift fruit out of the poaching syrup and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, over medium-high heat, bring syrup to a boil. Reduce liquid until medium thick, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and vanilla bean; transfer syrup to a clean container; let cool. (Fruit and syrup can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of time and stored separately in airtight containers, in the refrigerator. Bring both to room temperature before using.) Note: If using dried apricots, soak overnight. Serve leftover syrup with pancakes, oatmeal, or over ice cream or fresh apricots. Yield: 1 cup apricots and 1¼ cups syrup. Typed in MMFormat by cjhartlin.msn@... Source: President's Choice Magazine.

Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V4 #13 by cjhartlin@... on Apr 9, 1999

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