Ah, the apricot. This overlooked fruit, long claimed by China, India and Armenia, probably made its way to Europeans via the Silk Road. Aromatic, pulpy and not too sweet - apricots have 7 g. of sugar and 2 g. of fiber per 100 g. of fruit - it's great fresh or dried and makes wonderful jams, tarts, cakes, wine, leather - and chutney.
Chutneys are a condiment and a time-tested way for residents of hot environments to preserve fruits; you combine mangos, apricots, plums or other fruits with sugar, vinegar and spices, and cook the ingredients briefly. Food Guy Greg Patent finds that they elevate the flavor of all sorts of roasted and grilled dishes; he puts apricot chutney on poached eggs, grilled chicken breast, hamburger and roasted vegetables like zucchini and cauliflower.
Greg thinks that Montana's warming climate has reduced the frequency of the springtime frosts that used to kill the fruit on his apricot trees. Forty years ago, fruit might have ripened only once every five years. Today, in the warmer parts of the state, you might get apricots every year.
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Starting September 8, 2019, you can hear "The Food Guys" at around 9:53am Sunday mornings.
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(Broadcast: "The Food Guys," 8/25/19. Listen weekly on the radio at 11:50 a.m. Sundays, or via podcast.)
