Farmersgirl Kitchen: Poached Apricots with Honeysuckle Syrup and Gluten Free Granola

Thursday, 18 July 2013

Poached Apricots with Honeysuckle Syrup and Gluten Free Granola

I was rather disappointed in a punnet of apricots that I bought, they were rather hard and tasteless, so I poached them in a little water and sugar, creating a luscious pan of soft sweet fruit.

I received some Nature's Path, Gluten Free, Nice and Nobbly Granola. It's a really tasty cereal to eat for breakfast or to use, as I did, in this dessert. I used the Pumpkin Seeds, almonds, raisins and cinnamon granola and layered up the poached apricots, granola, and Greek Yogurt, finishing with a sprinkle of granola and some Honeysuckle Syrup (see below)

There are two different kinds of Nature's Path Nice and Nobbly Gluten Free Granola, the Pumpkin Seeds, almonds, raisins and cinnamon type and another with Blueberries, Raspberries Strawberries and Yogurt Chunks.

You may remember that I reviewed The Foragers Kitchen by Fiona Bird, back in May. I was enthusiastic about the book at the time and was eagerly anticipating the different seasons. One of the foraged ingredients that really intrigued me was Honeysuckle. I had not idea you could do anything with Honeysuckle although I've always love the smell of it and it grows in abundance in the hedges up the lanes to our farm. This year with the warm weather, it has been particularly prolific.

Honeysuckle Flowers

Honeysuckle Syrup
Makes 1 small bottle

What to forage and find:
2 large handfuls of honeysuckle (12-15 blossoms)
Scant 1 1/2 cups (350ml) boiling water (50ml will evaporate or soak into the blossom)
1 cup (200g) superfine (caster) sugar

What to do:
1. Allow the honeysuckle blossom to steep in the water for as long as possible (at least 8 hours)
2. Strain the blossom liquid well, and squeeze the blossom to ensue that you have as much liquid as possible.
3. Put the blossom water into a saucepan, and add the sugar.
4. Dissolve the sugar over low heat, then boil rapidly to reduce and thicken the syrup to about 3/4 cup (175ml)

I've been asked what Honeysuckle syrup tastes like, it tastes a little like honey and a bit like the flowers smell, it's a lovely sweet floral flavour. I did wonder if it was just the sugar, but I also made some Elderflower syrup (more of that in a future post) and it tastes completely different.

Fiona suggests that you drizzle this syrup over ice cream. If you keep one or two small plastic bottles of the in the freezer you can glaze your Christmas ham in wild summer blossom.

The Forager's Kitchen is published by CICO Books
RRP £16.99
Popular online book store £10.87

Thanks to Fiona Bird and Mark at Cico Books for allowing me to publish this recipe.
I received the Nature's Path Gluten Free Granola for review, I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own.

Labels: apricots, Cico Books, Fiona Bird, gluten free, Granola, greek yogurt, Honeysuckle, Nature's Path, syrup, The Forager's Kitchen

11 Comments:

At 19 July 2013 at 05:04 , chow and chatter said...: cool now I know how to make it
At 19 July 2013 at 08:26 , Fiona Bird said...: Thank you so much for posting this. My daughter, Lili said that honeysuckle syrup tastes of the garden. I find it difficult to equate wild foods with more conventional tastes. Gorse blossom certainly smells of coconut but it doesn't taste of it, it's unique. We need to 'acquire' wild taste buds:-)
At 19 July 2013 at 19:13 , Marmaduke Scarlet said...: Wow! (she says inarticulately!) This just leaped out of the screen at me! The fruit sounds lovely but the honeysuckle syrup absolutely sublime! (And since I have a load in my back garden, I am just going to toddle off for a bit of a forage . . . when things have cooled down a bit!)
At 19 July 2013 at 21:53 , Janice said...: Looking forward to hearing how you get on. I used some of the syrup in sald dressing tonight instead of honey and it was delicious.
At 20 July 2013 at 03:53 , Carole said...: Janice, I do hope you stop by and add this to the apricot collection - it's never too late for a good recipe. cheers
At 20 July 2013 at 08:00 , Unknown said...: I have a honeysuckle bush directly outside my window here at Belleau Kitchen and I think I may just give this syrup a go... love the poached apricots... funny how apricots can be so hit and miss, especially this season, some a beautifully plump and others are mouth twistingly bitter... that granola looks rather nice too x
At 20 July 2013 at 13:53 , underthebluegumtree said...: Just love the idea of that honeysuckle syrup. Sounds delicious!
At 22 July 2013 at 08:02 , Chris Half said...: I don't know much about the honeysuckle syrup, but I like the looks of the dessert in the glass. That might be luvly to have.
At 23 July 2013 at 09:29 , Aimee @ Violet Femme said...: Yum! I'm dying to try honeysuckle syrup, this looks delicious...
At 25 July 2013 at 12:26 , Jacqueline @Howtobeagourmand said...: Honeysuckle Syrup? I'm intrigued!
Apricots can be quite dry - even when I've bought them in French markets they can be hit and miss so to soak them in this syrup sounds like a fantastic idea!
At 25 July 2013 at 22:03 , Traceyr said...: wow that seems so simple Janice. A taste of the summer at Christmas time sounds lovely.

:)

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Farmersgirl Kitchen

Thursday, 18 July 2013

Poached Apricots with Honeysuckle Syrup and Gluten Free Granola

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