Soft, tart apricots poached gently in a sweet syrup flavoured with vanilla and rosemary are a beautiful addition to a breakfast or dessert.
I love a bit of food nostalgia. Poached stone fruit always reminds me of dessert with my grandmother, and none more so than poached apricots. Soft, sweet and slightly tart fruit soaked lovingly in sweet syrup, swimming around a bowl of vanilla ice-cream. Heaven.
In New Zealand, this is the perfect time of year for this delicious treat. Apricots are in abundance and easy to come by for a very reasonable price. And poached apricots made now is a good way to preserve the deliciousness of summer for a little while longer.
As sweet as can be
The brilliant thing about poaching your own fruit is you determine the level of sweetness. I prefer slightly less sweet so use a ratio of 1 part sugar to 2 parts water, and add a little vanilla. But if you like it more sweet, you can go as far as equal parts sugar and water, and even add a few drops of rose-water or some honey.
In this recipe I counter the sugary sweetness with the lovely woody tones of rosemary. If you know me, you know rosemary is my absolute favourite and I will add it to just about everything I can. I love it in savoury dishes, and I think its definitely under-rated in sweets. It adds a beautiful subtle woodiness that goes perfectly with sugary goodness. Another example of this is my rosemary creme brulee. So good.
So easy!
Poaching stone fruit is beautifully quick and simple, so it needn’t be a chore. Just a simple sweet syrup and a few flavourings, a few minutes on the stove and you’re done! Because the fruit is naturally soft, you don’t want to poach it for too long otherwise it starts to break down. While still delicious, you lose the lovely texture of the fruit.
Poached apricots with vanilla and rosemary
Ingredients
- 1 kg apricots or other stone fruit of your choosing
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp pure vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla pod
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
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In a large pot, combine the water, sugar, vanilla and rosemary and stir gently to combine. If using a vanilla pod, split the pod in half and scrape out the seeds.
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Heat over a medium-low heat to dissolve the sugar, stirring occasionally.
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Cut the fruit in half and remove the stone/pip. If the fruit is large, cut into quarters, or leave it halves if you prefer.
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Once the sugar has dissolved, add the fruit to the sugar syrup and stir gently. Bring to a gentle simmer.
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Let the fruit simmer for 4 or 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it and if the fruit starts to break down, remove from the heat.
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Turn off the stove and let the mixture cool for an hour before removing the rosemary and transferring the fruit to a clean, sterile glass jar. Seal and allow to cool before storing in the fridge.
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Once opened, consume within a few days.
Recipe Notes
I like this recipe slightly less sweet but if you prefer, you can increase the sugar to 2 cups for every 2 cups of water.
Be sure to use pure vanilla bean paste or a vanilla pod. Every day vanilla essence won’t give as nice a flavour.
For another great use for stone fruit when its plentiful, try my Summer Fruit Tart.
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