Many local farms have recipes in their stores or online for customers to follow. Photos by Becky Bonner.
Many local farms have recipes in their stores or online for customers to follow. Photos by Becky Bonner.

With the availability of fresh, ripe Blenheim apricots throughout San Benito County, BenitoLink reached out to several family farms to discover their favorite recipes.

Whether cooking with a freshly picked batch of fruit or adding chopped pieces of dried apricots to a dish, there is sure to be a recipe to make your mouth water.

Apricots can be seen in full season across the county. Photo by Becky Bonner.
Apricots can be seen in full season across the county. Photo by Becky Bonner.

The Farm Bertuccio’s Apricot Strudel

 Ingredients:

  • ½ lb. margarine
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ cup chopped dried apricots
  • ½ pint apricot jam or spread
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup walnuts

Mix the margarine, flour and sour cream, and refrigerate overnight. Mix together dried apricots, apricot jam and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat until jam is melted. Add shredded coconut and walnuts and mix well. Divide dough into four parts and roll each into 10” x 5” rectangles. Spread 1/4 of the apricot mixture down the center. Roll ever edges to cover filling. Repeat with other three parts. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Apricot King Orchards Sweet and Sour Apricot Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 1 (3-4 lbs) chicken cut into parts
  • 1/2 cup rice wine or white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sherry
  • 3 tablespoons catsup
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 6 fresh apricots, halved and pitted (about 10 oz.)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 green onions, cut into two-inch lengths, then slivered

Cut chicken parts into smaller pieces (about two inches each), using a cleaver and whacking straight down right through the bone. Combine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sherry, and catsup for sauce and set aside.

B&R Farms has a recipe for a blueberry, jicama, apricot salsa that can also be a salad if larger slices are cut. Photo courtesy of B&R Farms.
B&R Farms has a recipe for a blueberry, jicama, apricot salsa that can also be a salad if larger slices are cut. Photo by Becky Bonner.

In a wok or large frying pan, stir-fry chicken over high heat in oil for 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add apricots and stir-fry for one more minute. Pour sauce mixture over chicken and cook, stirring until thickened. Garnish with green onion slivers. Serve with rice, if desired.

B&R Farms Blueberry, Jicama, Apricot Salsa (or salad)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup B & R Farms Slab Dried Apricots
  • 1 cup diced jicama
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper (stemmed and seeded)
  • Juice of 1 large lime and salt to taste

In a medium bowl, combine blueberries, dried apricots, jicama, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno, and lime juice. Stir until well-mixed. Season with salt to taste. You can dice ingredients fine for salsa or chunky for salad.

For people hoping to create a jam with fresh fruit, Fairhaven Orchards provides a recipe for "The Best-Ever Apricot Jam". Photo by Becky Bonner.
For people hoping to create a jam with fresh fruit, Fairhaven Orchards provides a recipe for “The Best-Ever Apricot Jam”. Photo by Becky Bonner.

Fairhaven Orchards Lucille’s Famous Apricot Pie 

Filling for two-crust pie:

  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons tapioca
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 cups sliced fresh apricots (about three pounds of fresh apricots)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Pinch or two of lemon rind butter

 Combine dry ingredients together and add to sliced apricots. Mix in lemon juice. Turn apricot mixture into a pastry-lined 9” or 10” pie pan. Dot the top of the apricot filling with butter. Adjust the top crust and flute edges; cut vents, or make a lattice top. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Then at 350° for one hour.

Hint: to prevent crust edges from burning, line the edge of the pie with a strip of foil.