What more can I say but it is “National Apricot Day” today and I love apricots. Whether dried, tinned or fresh I just love them. Apricots are so versatile as an ingredient because you can use them in savoury and sweet recipes. The apricots add a touch of subtle sweetness to whatever you use them for.
My favourite bakes to use up apricots are:-
- Tarte Tatin
- Muffins
- Scones
- Shortbread
- Loaf Cake
- Fruit Cake
- Tea Cakes
- Hot Cross Buns.
As for savoury dishes I would add dried apricots to:-
- Lamb Curry,
- Vegetable Curry
- Lamb Tagine
- Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks
- Couscous Salad
All very spicy meals don’t you think? Also, apricots are really yummy when you blend them into a marinade and serve with chicken or my favourite savoury dish which is mixed in with salad, couscous, herbs and spices (whatever you have in your store cupboard)
Nutritionally, apricots are a great source of many important nutrients. When my children were little I would always pack dried apricots as a snack for them and myself to enjoy when we were out and about. Being a vegetarian I eat a lot of dried apricots as they are a good source of iron and I always worry that I am lacking in iron. Although I think my tiredness is due to running around constantly after four children, running a home baking business and keeping the house organised. 🙂 One cup of dried apricots contains 4.1mg of iron which is a good part of your daily iron requirement. I’m not saying just eat dried apricots to reach your daily iron intake but it does help. 🙂
Apricots are a great source of fibre (mainly the skin) and as they are sweet are a great way to get fibre into a young child’s diet without them even knowing. One serving of dried apricots provides you with 7g of dietary fibre which is a good part of your daily fibre requirement.
The vitamin and mineral content of apricots, as well as, the antioxidants are what seals the deal in my opinion for including apricots in your diet. The antioxidants lutein, beta carotene and zeaxanthin are found in apricots and these play a part in glowing skin, maintaining your eyesight and improving the health of your gut. The main minerals found in apricots are potassium and the vitamins A, C and E in varying quantities. I just love the nutrition of food don’t you? I keep all my information which I gather together over the months and years in little hard backed notebooks so I always have something to refer back to when I am researching recipes and ideas for my blog. 🙂
There are so many recipes out there to try where apricots are the main ingredient so why not give it a try. Feel free to share your own ideas in the comments below. You might even have a recipe I should try 🙂