We're not sure what's come over us, but recently we've been eating dried apricots by the bagful. We just can't seem to get enough of their chewy texture and tangy-sweet flavor. They're great on their own, of course, but also we keep finding more ways to use them in our everyday cooking.
• Quick Appetizer - Ever tried dried apricots with a dab of blue cheese and an almond? This has become one of our favorite pre-dinner snacks!
• Salads - We're all about texture in salads, and chewy apricots are just the thing to round out a salad of crisp lettuce, gooey cheese, and tender nuts. We give them a rough chop before tossing them in.
• Baking - We recently made these oatmeal clafoutis bars and added nearly half a bag of dried apricots. We love the pockets of tangy flavor in nearly every bite. We're also thinking of mixing some dried apricots into a batch of these chewy chocolate cookies.
• Breakfast - This is an oldie-but-goodie. In the dead of winter, dried apricots sprinkled into our morning granola or oatmeal is like a little ray of summer sun.
If your apricots are a little on the dry and leathery side, reconstitute them in a cup of hot water for five minutes before using them. They'll plump right up and be a little easier to chew.
What do you like to do with dried apricots?
Related: How to Dry Fruit in the Oven
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You can also add them to stews for a North African style.
They're great with a bit of dark chocolate, and I love them as part of a cheese board.
Does anyone have any good brands of dried apricots that don't have any sulphur dioxide in them? That ingredient upsets my stomach but I love apricots. Thanks!
I've been eating a lot of dried apricots lately as well. My mom stuffs them with almond paste and then rolls the edge in sugar. AMAZING!
At a New Year's dinner party, the extraordinary hostess prepared orzo with small bits of dried apricots, tiny slices of onion, and I can't remember what else...
It was scrumptious!!!
i'm glad that i don't like them. my girlfriend is both in love with and intolerant of them. though loved, they're forbidden in our place.
i make a dressing with sliced dried apricots, thinly sliced red onion, a spoonful apricot preserves, poppy seeds, champagne vinegar, lots of pepper, a little salt, and olive oil. i let it sit for a bit, and almost pickle the red onions, before dressing a simple salad of tender lettuces.
I believe Trader Joe's sells a sulfur free dried apricot. They are brown instead of orange, but they still taste good.
Trader Joe's sells them without the sulphur. They aren't as pretty but they taste just as good.
Thanks!
I can eat these like candy. I love to put them in savory, stew type dishes.
I bake them in my tagine with chicken, honey, onion, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, and garlic.
I much prefer the non-sulphured version, they're moister.
My mum used to make apricot crumble with dried apricots only, she let them soak in boiled water overnight/a couple of hours first. Not had that for AGES but the memories are good!
I like them simmered with brandy and a little sugar with whole almonds, cinnamon and star anise. I then eat this hot or cold with yoghurt or porridge.
Scones! I use a regular recipe for scones (from my BH&G) cookbook, replace the add-ins with cut up dried apricots and about 1/4 cup of the cream with either OJ or apricot nectar. They are always a big hit at work!
Pizza - red onion/cranberry/apricot tapenade with crumbled feta cheese, chopped dried apricots, and chopped nuts.
I like slicing them up for chicken salad sandwiches. It gives them an extra little kick.
You *must* eat the non-sulfured/organic apricots. They are, like, a million times tastier!
I love dried apricots too! As well, I'm a big fan of dried plums (okay, I know they are really prunes). I especially like the Sunsweet brand that have orange, lemon, and cherry essence added to them, but no added sugar!
two things-
1-I love to make a fritatta with lots of onions, sliced dried apricots and a bit of blue cheese.
2-once on vacation in the south of Turkey we were greated every morning with big bowls of museli, Turkish Yogurt and dried apricots that had been simmered in honey. best breakfast ever.
i'm loving these ideas...especially kaw's dressing! i guess i need to incorporate dried apricots into more dishes, since now i solely consume them solo as a snack. i keep dried apricots and prunes at my desk at work in the event i need a snack.
I love these, but I've been eating dried mangoes for a long spell now--they're great to have on hand for a snack. Good in hot cereal too.
5 years ago, Trader Joes sold dried pluots. They carried them for about a year, then poof. Those dried pluots were all the tangy goodness of a dried apricot cranked up to 11.
Savory wise I like them diced and put in to couscous with some lemon or orange zest, cumin and parsley. I make panettone every year for Christmas and wouldn't dream of leaving apricots out of it. Tasty!
just a reminder that each of those tasty morsels is one whole apricot. try to remember that before you eat a whole bag by yourself. your digestive system will thank you.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chicken-breasts-with-apricot-onion-pan-sauce
We love this recipe.
My favorite Banana Bread recipe from the original Joy of Cooking cookbook calls for chopped, dried apricots. I prefer it this way, but if I don't have them on hand, golden raisins make a good substitute.