Italian Apricots

It’s been nearly two decades since I found wild Italian cherries from Piedmont. They were an instant hit, and a few years later, we added another luscious Italian fruit to the line up: soft, tender apricots, hand harvested and rushed into a simple syrup bath within hours. The rushing is important, it protects the texture and flavor of the fruit. The longer they wait around, the more their texture breaks down, the mushier they get. But that’s the only rushing allowed. The apricots take their time once they reach their bath, allowing the sugar to slowly soak into the fruit, preserving them and freezing their flavor at its peak.

 

An elegant gift. Fantastic with gelato or fresh cheeses. The apricots still have their stones so chew carefully.