In an effort to tell Bay Area bakers and cooks about the future
of a tasteful yet rare treat, local farmers held a summit Monday to
promote the Blenheim apricot, a fruit that is losing a battle with
development and foreign imports.
In an effort to tell Bay Area bakers and cooks about the future of a tasteful yet rare treat, local farmers held a summit Monday to promote the Blenheim apricot, a fruit that is losing a battle with development and foreign imports.
“The purpose of this apricot summit was to educate and alert professional bakers and others that this apricot is not widely available, said Patti Murray of Baker’s Dozen. “Also, it was put on to promote its usage and growth in the area.”
Once the apricot capital of the nation, San Benito County growers have lost time and money because of a lack of interest for the choice fruit, according to the experts in attendance. Growth has also cut back in other major apricot growing regions, such as Los Altos.
The Blenheim variety is indigenous to the Santa Clara Valley, but the orchards that once produced this tasteful treat have long since given way to development, and now, San Benito County is the last home to the Blenheim variety.
At one time, there were about 50 Blenheim apricot growers in the county, but now that number has dropped to about eight.
The Baker’s Dozen sponsored the summit at Dorothy McNett’s Place. The group, located in San Francisco, is a nationally known baking group whose members are interested in the testing of new recipes and in the art of baking. The group, founded by students of late chef James Beard, has as some of its members Julia Child, Marian Cunningham, John Carroll, Flo Braker and Nancy Kux.
The Blenheim apricot is a relatively large and juicy apricot, and is favored by pastry chefs and recipe creators. It cooks better than most apricots, resulting in a moist and flavorful dish, McNett said.
The fruits have been used in everything from spicy, red-pepper toppings to chocolate-dipped morsels.
The three-hour summit was the first of its kind in the area, said Barbara Anderson, one of the Baker’s Dozen authors, and included discussions, presentations and tours. Area growers said they hoped the summit will make a difference in growth and demand.
Marion Cunningham, author of the “Fanny Farmer Cookbook” and eight other cookbooks, was in attendance. Also present were 75 restaurant owners, cookbook authors and chefs from around the Bay Area.
“It takes great fortitude to continue to grow something so difficult and precious. It is so labor intensive and expensive as well as extremely risky.” said Shuna Lydon of San Francisco’s Aziza restaurant. “As a pastry chef, we know how important flavor is, we have access to the best and want to keep it around for years to come.”
Lydon made her thoughts known throughout the summit, stressing how important it is to keep the Blenheim apricot around.
The apricot costs anywhere from $2 to $3 more per pound than other Turkish, New Zealand and Australian imports. Blenheim apricots, however, are naturally better, McNett said.
Because imports are shipped so far, the amount of preservatives and sulphur-dioxide must be higher in those. Local apricots are sweeter and juicier, and preservatives will not interfere with the taste, growers said.
Gonzales Orchards, B&R Farms, Rossi Orchards and Gibson Farms hope to see a difference in their sales in the next few months as word of San Benito’s crop spreads, Anderson said.
During the 1960s, Blenheim orchards began to decline when earlier-maturing varieties that ripened from the outside in and had better shipping qualities, were planted in the Central Valley. However, these varieties – Castlebright and Patterson – are not as flavorful, experts said.
According to the California Apricot Council, about 95 percent of the apricots grown in the United States come from California, with more than 400 growers covering 21,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley and northern California.
Blenheim apricots do not ship well so they are exclusive to the Bay Area region during its short three-week season. Once the season ends and the apricots are dried, they then can be shipped nationally and internationally.
