Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Can a Fruit be Angelic?

Recently, Food Gal posted pictures of these beautiful apricots and said we should rush out the door to buy them while they’re in season. And since I always like to be compliant (not), I went to my nearby Trader Joe’s in a hurried but not necessarily rush-like state.

Luckily, there was a whole counter of these yellow apricots still for purchase. They’re marketed as “Saintly” Angelcots, and they’re the creation of a Brentwood farmer who worked with Moroccan white apricot seeds until he got this pale yellow version that he named Angelcots. (Produced by FA Maggiore & Sons.)

I have to say I don’t typically eat fresh apricots, preferring the intense flavors of the dried apricots instead. I always found the flesh of a fresh apricot to have an odd meaty texture, although I do love their velvet exterior.

The Angelcots were similarly velvety, like pussy willows. And some had a beautiful blush color from the California sun. When I ate them, it was way more juicy than a typical apricot and the flesh was more like a nectarine. The sweetness is perfume-like, and I can begin to appreciate when people say they use fruits to sweeten food because these Angelcots can definitely be used as a sweetener. (Although they’re not super sweet, they can hold their own.)

While they’re not a revelation like my discovery last year of the Flavor King, the Angelcots are a nice surprise and may get me started on eating apricots again.



3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. I always enjoy your writing and photos. I have to tell you that today, your photography went above and beyond. That first picture of the apricot is pure art. The lighting, the arrangement, it is incredible. I wanted you to know we notice!

Anonymous said...

Pretty photos! Glad you enjoyed trying the Angelcots.

And another way to become an apricot fan? Definitely try the ones grown by Frog Hollow Farms of Brentwood. They are special indeed.

Single Guy Ben said...

Thanks Cheri! I appreciate the shout out!

Carolyn, I'll keep my eyes out for those apricots from Frog Hollow. Hopefully they make their way up to the north part of the Bay. :)