Poached Apricots with Vanilla and Lemon

Poached apricots scented with vanilla and lemon are positively dreamy, and they’re so easy to make. They’re delicious alone, topped with whipped cream, served over yogurt, ice cream, or oatmeal, and more.

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Why we love this recipe

This recipe is among my favorite east-coast party tricks. It’s a super-simple way to make pretty good apricots into very good apricots. It:

• Only takes about 15 minutes of hands-on work, max
• Is make-ahead friendly
• Works equally well as part of breakfast or dessert
• Yields the most succulent, flavorful fruit, plus leftover syrup that’s great in everything from cocktails to sparkling water.

I first published this recipe here way back in 2010. I’ve updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.

What you’ll need

Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.

• Where I live, the hardest part of this whole recipe is usually sourcing the apricots. They have a very short season and don’t ship all that well. Luckily, this is a great place to use apricots that have been picked a little too early for shipping. Firm-ripe fruits will soften up in the poaching process and absorb all the beautiful flavors of the liquid. Psst…Here’s some interesting apricot history.
• You’ll use half a vanilla bean in this recipe. Cut it open with a paring knife, flatten it out a bit, and scrape out the seeds with the point of the knife. Add both the pod and the seeds to the pot to make the syrup.
• Use a vegetable peeler to easily remove the lemon zest in strips, without including too much of the bitter white pith.

How to make it

Here’s what you’ll do to make a simple and simply perfect batch of poached apricots. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.

1. First, cut each apricot in half from the stem end to the bottom and remove the stones.
2. To create the poaching liquid, stir together the water, sugar, vanilla bean, lemon zest, and salt. Bring to a boil for one minute.
3. Add the apricot halves, arranging so they are submerged as much as possible. Simmer for five minutes.
4. Spoon the poached apricots into a large bowl and pour the syrup overtop. Let cool completely before serving.

Expert tips and FAQs

More favorite simple fruit toppings & desserts

• Poached Asian pears
• A simple compote from overripe fruit
• Strawberry rhubarb compote
• Strawberry sauce for ice cream & cheesecake
• Broiled figs

4.65 from 17 votes

Poached Apricots with Vanilla and Lemon

By Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Poached apricots scented with vanilla and lemon are positively dreamy, and they're so easy to make. They're delicious served alone, with whipped cream, over yogurt, ice cream, or oatmeal, and more.

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Additional Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Servings: 8

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ cups (355 ml) water
• ▢ 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
• ▢ ½ vanilla bean, split open lengthwise and seeds scraped out
• ▢ Zest of 1 lemon, peeled into strips with a vegetable peeler
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 15 firm-ripe apricots, halved and pitted

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• In a medium pot, combine the water, sugar, vanilla bean (both pod and seeds), lemon zest, and salt.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, and boil for one minute.
• Add the apricots, gently arranging them in the pot to submerge as many as possible.
• Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer, adjusting as necessary.
• Poach the apricots for about 5 minutes, until they’re as soft as you’d like them. You’ll probably need to shift them around gently in the pot to give them equal time in the liquid.
• Remove the apricots to a bowl and pour the liquid overtop.
• Let cool completely at room temperature, about 90 minutes.

Notes

1. Where I live, the hardest part of this whole recipe is usually sourcing the apricots. They have a very short season and don’t ship all that well. Luckily, this is a great place to use apricots that have been picked a little too early for shipping. Firm-ripe fruits will soften up in the poaching process and absorb all the beautiful flavors of the liquid.
2. You’ll use half a vanilla bean in this recipe. Cut it open with a paring knife, flatten it out a bit, and scrape out the seeds with the point of the knife. Add both the pod and the seeds to the pot to make the syrup.
3. Use a vegetable peeler to easily remove the lemon zest in strips, without including too much of the bitter white pith.
4. You’ll need to make this recipe at least 90 minutes in advance to give the apricots a chance to cool completely, but you can do it a lot earlier if you like. They’ll keep well at room temperature for a day and in the fridge for a week or more, as long as all the fruit is covered with syrup.
5. There are so many ways to enjoy these lovely little golden things. I love them for breakfast straight up, spooned over yogurt with or without granola, or atop some oatmeal. For dessert, try them alone, with whipped cream, over ice cream, with vanilla pudding, or on a pavlova.
6. My favorite thing to do with leftover syrup is to spoon a bit of the syrup and one of the strips of lemon peel into a cocktail. It works well in such a wide variety of drinks, from an Aperol or Hugo Spritz to a Gin & Tonic and beyond. This is a great place to play. If you’re not into alcohol, you could mix it into some sparkling water for a lightly flavored treat. Strained of fruit, the syrup will keep in the fridge for a month or more. You can leave the lemon peel and vanilla beans and use them as garnishes, too.

I first published this recipe here way back in 2010. I’ve updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.

Nutrition

Calories: 89kcal, Carbohydrates: 21.5g, Protein: 1.1g, Fat: 0.5g, Fiber: 1.5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Fruit Desserts

Cuisine: American

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