Nothing beats tree-ripened apricots on a hot summer day. When I was growing up, our apricot tree was so full of fruit that we had to support the branches with 2 x 4s so they wouldn’t snap. We ate the apricots right off the tree, baked them into crumbles, and made thick jam for our toast. I remember how incredible they tasted, and how frustrated I felt when birds poked holes in the soft skin of those precious gems.
I’m always looking for that same taste, but as an adult rarely find it. It turns out that apricots are hard to grow and tricky to ship. Their beautiful blooms come early and are too delicate to survive late spring frosts. You can still find them, but store-bought ones are just not the same. They lack flavor because they aren’t ripened on the tree.
A few years ago, a good friend, Mimi Escandon, talked to me about mindfulness. She gets tons of joy from homegrown vegetables from her garden, is a gentle soul, and a pretty smart cookie. She explained the concept of being anchored in the present, intentionally paying attention to and appreciating life. It is the small things that make big moments, and we just have to be where our feet are physically and mentally to see it.
But it’s easy to get distracted and not stay present. One of the biggest culprits in the world of distractions are electronic devices. Once, at Jazz Fest with Mimi and Gilbert Escandon, Mimi spotted Jake Gyllenhaal and band members from Mumford and Sons. We were eating at the same restaurant! In the next booth, a couple sat glued to their phones, never looking up as they scrolled, they didn’t even notice who sat right behind them. I on the other hand picked up my menu, a pen and ran over to their table for autographs. HA! That’s a cringeworthy image. I promise that I didn’t do that. Mainly because Joseph, their son, had a look of abject horror on his face when I suggested it and Annie’s warnings from my celebrity sightings at Glesons in Silverlake rang in my ear. I’m glad Mimi was paying attention, and now I love telling that Jake Gyllenhaal story to Greg whenever he’s lost in his phone.
What does all this have to do with tree-ripened apricots? And am I really making the outrageous suggestion to put down electronic devices? Whoa! You are most likely thinking….Now she’s gone too far! Hummm…so maybe we just start small. Here is a gentle nudge for limiting screen time and being more present. Those ripe apricots were a treasure I didn’t fully appreciate back then. Now, I want to do better and fully appreciate the small things like: Did you notice it is February 4 (mid way through winter) and the skies are so blue and the sunshine is so warm?
To make up for the lost flavor of tree-ripened apricots (not to mention the offensive suggestion that you might want to put down your phone…just as soon as you finish reading this story), I have a small treat to offer: Apricot Brandy. It has the concentrated, sweet, and jammy version of tree-ripe apricots. The bonus is that if you sip enough, you might even forgive me for bringing up screen time limits on your devices.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ C Dried apricots, chopped
- 3 T Sliced or slivered almonds
- 3 T Apricot jam
- ½ C Water
- 2 ¼ C Vodka
- 1 Vanilla pod
Directions
- Place water and jam into a micro-safe container and heat on high for one minute. Stir, then heat again until the syrup mixture boils, about 30 seconds.
- Meanwhile place dried apricots, almonds, and vanilla pod in a clean Ball style mason jar.
- Pour syrup over the apricots. Then top off with vodka.
- Cover and let infuse for 6 weeks.
- Strain liquid through cheese cloth, place into individual size bottles (12 oz.). Note: In an effort to have the liquid as clear as possible, I strained it several times thought the cheese cloth.
Mangia by Pia 