Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Waste Not {Apricots}

I am happy to say that I had the opportunity to move around 1000 pounds of local, organic, tasty apricots a few weeks ago. I am learning so much about farming and how the business really works. Items come into season slowly and go out quickly just as they hit their peak. The Backyard Farmer is a company that I use to get high quality fresh produce delivered. The owner works with many local farms to offer a good variety of fruits and vegetable. It has been a privilege to get advice on growing my own garden, sample some interesting varieties (Armenian cucumbers, yard beans) and most of all, unload his excess.

When apricot season came to an end, one of the farmers The Backyard Farmer works with gave him permission to clean off his trees. The fruit so abundant and ripe, it was attracting birds, which deteriorates its quality. Sorting the fruit simply took too much time for it to be worth selling. After a full day of pro bono work, the waste was reduced by about half. Even thought it was grueling and unprofitable, The Backyard Farmer, with his heart of gold is talking about doing it again at the end of peach season, which is soon., I have my fingers crossed.

If you are in the area of Mesa, AZ, get on my Local Finds email list to get notified of all the good deals I am finding in my area. And if you have ordered from The Backyard Farmer, leave a comment with your most favorite item he has brought to your door. Or email me for his latest order form and leave a comment with the item you are most excited to receive.

It was intoxicating to spend days with those apricots, pumping out some glorious treats from my kitchen. Of coarse we at ourselves sick, with enough apricots to account for our lunch. Next, I froze some on a sheet pan and later bagged them to have them handy for smoothies, ice cream and future desires. I made around 30 pints of apricot-honey jam using Pomona’s Pectin. I did a simple cooked sauce with pureed apricots and honey to taste for pancakes and crepes, then thickened some with arrowroot powder and used it in the center of some breakfast rolls. My favorite thing to do when I have an abundance of ripe fruit is fruit leather and apricots make the best fruit leather.

Too simple, I verbally repeated this “recipe” to almost everyone who came to my door that apricot-y day.

Fruit Leather
8 cups fruit puree
1/3 cup honey

Combine fruit and honey in a large blender. Pour about 2 cups onto a silicone baking mat or plastic wrap lined half sheet pan. Spread mixture evenly to about ½ inch from the sides. Set out in the scorching hot sun for a full day or dehydrate per dehydrator instructions or until just tacky to the touch. Peel off of the fruit and cut or store whole rolled up in parchment paper. I like to trim the edges, which store in a separate bag and eat first. You could cover you pan’s with cheese cloth while they are outside, just be careful that the cloth doesn’t touch the puree. I leave it uncovered and just pick out the little leaves that get stuck in it from the wind. It really doesn’t have to be scorching hot, it just may take longer of it is below 85 degrees, and will not work if it is very humid.

This post is part of GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister and Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday's

25 comments:

  1. I cannot repeat enough how lucky your family is to have you. To have amazing, yummy, healthy food all of the time...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I LOVE apricots! They are kind of expensive though.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I want to be on your emailing list and I want an order form. debsfreckles@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Add me to your local finds emails, please!! Thanks,
    katecupps {at} hotmail {dot} com

    ReplyDelete
  5. i am so sad i missed out on this! the one weekend we're out of town...

    i'm crossing my fingers for the peaches too!

    i haven't ordered from the Backyard Farmer but i hope to be able to soon.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I noticed the title was "waste not" (we've done the same thing here with apple orchards by the way). I wonder if you have come across the idea of eating the apricot seeds. I find is so sad when people don't realize all the great nutrients found in the seeds of fruit such as apricots, peaches, and apples. People just aren't aware that you can actually eat that. But if you truly want to "waste not" try eating the nutrient packed kernels or incorporate them (they're bitter) into jams or baked goods. Why miss out?

    ReplyDelete
  7. I want to know more about this Backyard Farmer business! Is this something that anyone can participate in?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Don't you just love Pomon's pectin? My canning world has changed so much since I no longer need sugar to get the pectin to set!

    I have such fond memories of my mom making fruit leather for me as a kid. She used to put it out in the sun on metal screens. Apricot was always my favorite, and was my special treat on hiking trips.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow...you've inspired me to pull out the dehydrator. You're lucky to have all the Arizona sun...in Pittsburgh our growing season is so short. I get a share from a local organic farmer each week and he recently asked for help thinning his apple trees. Unfortunately our schedule didn't permit us to help...but in the future I plan to head out to the farm! Just found you from Kelly's site. Can't wait to visit again.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hmmmm- how exactly do you eat an apricot pit Andrea?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Deb and Kate, I will add out send you the latest order form. They usually come out on Thursday. Kami, do you need one too, or do you already get the updated order forms?

    I have never had apricot or peach pits. I would be curious to try them in something though.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The Backyard Farm is for everyone in the area after Farmer's Market quality produce, delivered. He delivers to Mesa, Queen Creek, Chandler, Gilbert and Apache Junction right now. His email is THEBACKYARDFARMER@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. kara - i think i have the order form. i have a question about his prices - how do they compare? we actually cannot purchase from him right now because of finances (we use Nutrition Assistance/EBT while my husband is in school) but i definitely want to when we can. i can shop at farmer's markets but the Mesa farmer's market is so far away and i didn't have great luck there when i went. what are your thoughts on the farmer's markets nearby? any recommendations?

    ReplyDelete
  14. you're amazing. one day i hope to be half as on the ball as you are.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The order form is different every week. The Farmer's Market on Center and Main is great. There is one large vendor that makes it all worth while. The Backyard Farmer's prices are very comparable, usually run about %15 higher. To me it is worth the service to not have to truck 3 kids across town and spend an hour waiting in line (it is a popular place)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'd love some info on the backyard farmer. Are they anything like bountiful baskets? chelsdecker@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. They are better than bountiful baskets because it is all local and grown with care. Also, you choose what to order each week and it is delivered to your door. If your stuff is less than perfect, they take care of you as it runs like a business not a co-op. They put out their weekly order forms on Thursdays, so I will send you one tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Just wanted to say, I'm glad I ran across your blog, I love it!
    Also, thanks for the fruit leather recipe, I wanted to know how to make it without white sugar!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sounds yummy! And it makes me miss the enormous apricot trees we had in my parents' backyard growing up. :>) I linked to this on my weekly roundup - thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am always looking for ways to get around white sugar :)

    Thanks for the link, Lenetta.

    ReplyDelete
  21. We love it! Do you plan on doing leather with any other fruits? I have a lot of plums to use...

    ReplyDelete
  22. Plums would be excellent! Blending fruits also works really well.

    ReplyDelete
  23. to make the fruit puree, do you have to peel the apricots first? i've seen a recipe where they were first boiled? how do you do it?

    ReplyDelete
  24. I just pull them apart to pop the pit out and put them in the blender. No cutting, no peeling, no cooking.

    ReplyDelete

It's rude to eat and run. Humor me with conversation please!

Related Posts with Thumbnails