I have been looking forward to harvesting any fruit the deer leave me at the hill country house! I have also been very curious about what type of plum I had in the garden area. Well......now I know! It is not a plum at all! It is an apricot tree!
This is the photo I sent my parents last weekend, saying "Here is the plum. Have you ever seen a yellow plum? I went ahead and tasted one and it tastes more like a peach than a plum!" In my defense, I had never in my life seen an apricot tree. They don't grow well as far south as San Antonio because they don't get enough cold hours. I also thought that apricots must have a seed more like a peach - all rough and pitted. Yes, I've eaten apricots, but never a fresh one! I drove back yesterday for the sole purpose of picking those apricots before they got too ripe!
Here is the beginning of my harvest! I ended up filling this large tub. I have been trying to put them up in my mother's freezer so I can decide later what to do with them. (We really don't eat much jam, so I hate to use them all for that.) I've encouraged everyone to eat as many as they want! The kitchen is coming along slowly but surely.
The door to the garage has been moved to a different location. It was in what is becoming the pantry.
The pantry now has a kitchen entrance. We will have narrow double doors here. You can see the former opening for the garage door studded out to become a wall.
The "breakfast area" (it will become a sitting area) is a little larger now due to the built in buffet being moved down to my quilt room. I have to do a little more thinking about the kitchen design because of a hidden problem with a beam. That has slowed us down until we can come up with a way to add a structural post to an area where the contractor thought a beam would do. It is actually fortunate that we discovered the problem or we might have had problems down the road. I am working hard on finishing my picnic quilt! I am ready to sew on the binding! Can't wait to finish! Hopefully, I'll be back before the picnic! Until then I'll brush up on my fruit identification!
Oh those apricots look delicious. It's true that you can have too much jam although it is pretty wonderful on waffles or pancakes or biscuits. And atop greek yogurt or between layers of chocolate cake. Still, fresh is such a fabulous treat. Sure wish they were in season here. They aren't even in the stores at all yet even as imports although nectarines are and watermelons now. When I was a child......goodness that sounds old......we only ate fresh fruit that was seasonal and local. We didn't even have bananas in the remote town I grew up in. The rest of the year we ate home canned fruit. My parents kept apples in their bedroom because it was the coldest room in the house and they lasted for ages that way. When you opened their bedroom door, apple scent wafted out and surrounded you with sweetness; Aromatherapy at its finest.
I got a kick out of your "plums"! I guess you aren't from Colorado!! My mother used to can apricots when i was growing up. Your house is going to be so great....so happy that you are getting to make so many decisions!
I never tried a fresh apricot ... not even sure I ever saw one. LOL Can the contractor replace the current beam with a steel beam to solve the problem? I saw a home remodeling show on TV a couple of weeks ago and during the renovation they found out they needed to add a structural post in the kitchen, but it wouldn't work with the plans. They solved it by replacing the wood beam with a steel beam and no post was needed. Just something I remembered seeing so I thought I'd pass it along.
Apricots weren't common when I was growing up. I've had a few, but, only when someone else makes something with them. Good luck figuring out your support post problem.
All those Apricots are so yummy looking. Here they are selling for $2.99 per pound! You hit the jackpot. I love apricot cobbler. They are also good sliced, a little sugar and then stewed lightly in a sauce pan to put over pancakes, crepes and such. Happy to see your progress on the house. Creative Apricot Bliss...
Apricot Kuchen is so yummy! http://www.overatjulies.com/2012/06/fresh-apricot-cake-aprikosenkuchen.html is one recipe but this one looks yummy too http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/07/german-rahm-kuchen-cream-cake.html
OH how I envy your apricot tree! They are $3.95 a pound in the store here in Saskatoon Sask. Canada. They make delicious apricot jam. Will send your the recipe if you are interested.
Just catching up on some blog reading. Your apricots look divine! I'm so close, I would have come after some if you'd share! I'm a fellow Texan in Brownwood!
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Hi Linda, I love apricots. It would be so nice to have your own tree. You could stew the apricots and use them for dessert.
ReplyDeleteOh those apricots look delicious. It's true that you can have too much jam although it is pretty wonderful on waffles or pancakes or biscuits. And atop greek yogurt or between layers of chocolate cake. Still, fresh is such a fabulous treat. Sure wish they were in season here. They aren't even in the stores at all yet even as imports although nectarines are and watermelons now. When I was a child......goodness that sounds old......we only ate fresh fruit that was seasonal and local. We didn't even have bananas in the remote town I grew up in. The rest of the year we ate home canned fruit. My parents kept apples in their bedroom because it was the coldest room in the house and they lasted for ages that way. When you opened their bedroom door, apple scent wafted out and surrounded you with sweetness; Aromatherapy at its finest.
ReplyDeleteVery impressed with the apricot harvest. Construction seems to be moving along well (easy for me to say in NJ)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever had an apricot before. They look yummy. Good luck on the kitchen. :)
ReplyDeleteI got a kick out of your "plums"! I guess you aren't from Colorado!! My mother used to can apricots when i was growing up. Your house is going to be so great....so happy that you are getting to make so many decisions!
ReplyDeleteI never tried a fresh apricot ... not even sure I ever saw one. LOL Can the contractor replace the current beam with a steel beam to solve the problem? I saw a home remodeling show on TV a couple of weeks ago and during the renovation they found out they needed to add a structural post in the kitchen, but it wouldn't work with the plans. They solved it by replacing the wood beam with a steel beam and no post was needed. Just something I remembered seeing so I thought I'd pass it along.
ReplyDeleteFirst i love apricots, i usually make date squares with them omitting dates and subbing apricots
ReplyDeleteLove the kitchen so far, an additional pantry...you will just love that...nice to have
Staples close by...a beam where will that go did i miss that?
Apricots weren't common when I was growing up. I've had a few, but, only when someone else makes something with them. Good luck figuring out your support post problem.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to see where your at with construction....
ReplyDeleteAll those Apricots are so yummy looking. Here they are selling for $2.99 per pound! You hit the jackpot. I love apricot cobbler. They are also good sliced, a little sugar and then stewed lightly in a sauce pan to put over pancakes, crepes and such. Happy to see your progress on the house. Creative Apricot Bliss...
ReplyDeleteApricot Kuchen is so yummy! http://www.overatjulies.com/2012/06/fresh-apricot-cake-aprikosenkuchen.html is one recipe but this one looks yummy too http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/07/german-rahm-kuchen-cream-cake.html
ReplyDeleteOH how I envy your apricot tree! They are $3.95 a pound in the store here in Saskatoon Sask. Canada. They make delicious apricot jam. Will send your the recipe if you are interested.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE apricots! Lucky you!!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear things are coming along on your new home.
ReplyDeleteWow! How cool is that. One of my fond memories of the high desert in California is tree ripened apricots. No other apricots compare. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt'll be interesting to see your picnic quilt.
The apricots look wonderful.....can you send some to Georgia???
ReplyDeleteJust catching up on some blog reading. Your apricots look divine! I'm so close, I would have come after some if you'd share! I'm a fellow Texan in Brownwood!
ReplyDelete