Apricot Purée

If you want to preserve apricots at their best for a few weeks, cook them down to a purée. Use it as a fresh apricot jam, stirred into yogurt or spooned onto toast, or serve it over melon or sliced peaches.

2 1/2 pounds fresh, ripe apricots

3 tablespoons sugar, preferably organic, or mild honey like clover

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, drop in the apricots and boil for 20 seconds. Transfer to the ice water with a slotted spoon or a spider, and allow to cool for a few minutes. Drain, slip off the skins, cut in half and remove the stones.

2. Place the apricots and sugar or honey in a large, heavy saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the apricots have broken down into a thick purée. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool in the pan. When cool, use a rubber spatula to scrape the purée into a jar or a container. Cover and refrigerate.

Yield: 2 cups.

Advance preparation: This will keep for two weeks in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per 1/4 cup: 82 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 19 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 milligram sodium; 2 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman

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