I was shopping at Gelsons Market the other day and to my pleasant surprise, I saw fresh California apricots for sale. I love when California apricots start popping up at grocery stores and farmer’s markets—usually during late May or early June— because it’s a sure sign that summer is approaching.
I had also been waiting for apricot season to arrive so I could develop a Poached Apricot recipe for my cookbook, Beach House Baking!
I love poaching apricots because not only is it simple, but it also really brings out the sweetness and flavor of the fruit. Plus, poaching gives the apricots a GORGEOUS color.
I like to keep it simple and poach my apricots in a vanilla syrup. Please make sure to use whole vanilla beans, not vanilla extract. I find Rodelle vanilla beans at Gelsons.
Poached apricots are incredibly versatile; you can eat them warm, room temperature, or even cold, and you can top them on just about anything. I prefer to eat mine with Greek-style yogurt.
If you like this recipe and want more like it, check out my cookbook Beach House Baking on Amazon. 🙂
Honey Vanilla Poached Apricots
Ingredients
- ¼ cup clover honey
- ½ vanilla bean split and scraped
- 1 pound apricots fresh ripe, halved lengthwise and pitted (about 4 large apricots)
- greek yogurt I prefer Fage
Directions
- In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of filtered water, the honey, and vanilla bean. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Remove lid and whisk mixture to break up vanilla bean clumps. Add apricots, reduce heat to low and simmer until just tender, about 4 minutes total depending on the ripeness of the fruit.
- Transfer the poached apricots with a slotted spoon to a dish. Boil the remaining syrup uncovered until reduced to about ½ cup. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold with a generous drizzle of the thickened syrup and a dollop of yogurt.