In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen

We are several weeks into apricot season and most of the fruit has been picked or fallen from the tree. A rough count suggests about sixty pounds. We were away for a week and the garden keeper didn’t know what to do with all of them.

There’s daily sorting and processing to be done. Thankfully, the near perfect ones store well in the fridge and currently there are still another ten pounds or so waiting to be brought out to ripen, share and process.

This year, I made two batches of apricot jam since our family and my sisters are especially fond of it. We recall our mother and grandmother’s apricot jam made from their trees.

I made a quick apricot crumble and on the list for this week is more apricot compote, ice cream mix for the freezer and an apricot cobbler. I have a pan of marginal ones which will become Apricot-Lavender Shrub.

Dorsett Golden apples from our espalier tree come during apricot season. I made some applesauce for the freezer but will make a favorite cooked puree of apricots and apples. Marionberries are ripening and nectaplums are next. A small crop of Babcock peaches on the three year old tree will be welcomed in late July.

We’re harvesting about this many strawberries each day. Though the larger ones impressively fill my palm, the smaller ones are red all the way through and have the best flavor. I’m recalling the Beaverton Farmers Market with luscious, deep red strawberries everywhere.

The container blueberry crop was not abundant this year but they’re still welcome additions.

Delphiniums are an indulgence in our climate, but who can resist a six-pack in late winter even if treated as annuals. The pairing with Julia Child roses is stunning.

Check the What I’m Planting Now page as I slowly plant the warm season garden. Then head to Harvest Monday, hosted by Dave at Happy Acres blog and see what garden bloggers around the world harvested last week.

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