Canned Apricots 3 Ways & Slow Cooker Giveaway!

September 4, 2013

I am obsessed with Fall.

It’s my “most wonderful time of the year“. I love the colors, the smell of leaves burning, my favorite mulled cider candle and frankly, I look better in Fall clothing. 😉

But (and I can’t believe I’m going to utter these words), there are some things I don’t like about this season.

I feel like a Fall traitor.

You see, I don’t like that suddenly all of the glorious fresh fruit we’ve enjoyed all summer long has disappeared. And between buying back-to-school clothes and gearing up for the holidays, I REALLY don’t like how much money seems to ‘fall’ (like how I did that there 😉 ) out of my wallet just as the leaves are falling to the ground.

So, when Libby’s Fruits and Vegetables asked me to partner with them in their pursuit of helping families solve their Dinner Dilemmas and Get Back to the Table I jumped at the chance! It’s hard coming up with healthy meals every night, isn’t it? I know I struggle with this! And not only do I want my family eating healthy meals, I don’t want to pass out from shock at the cash register when I see the total for my grocery bill!

So, today I’m excited to share with you 3 fun, new ways to use canned fruit. These recipes are easy to make and easy on the budget. And they didn’t last long in my house!

Look at the color of those canned apricots? Seriously this was the most “fresh” canned fruit I’ve ever used! And the best part is that there is no added sugar. Yep. NO SUGAR! Just all natural goodness.

We are a bread lovin’ family so using the canned apricots to make Apricot Bread seemed like a no-brainer. And this is now our new favorite! We may or may not have finished almost an entire loaf in 2 days.

Picture all of us with our heads hanging in shame. 😉

Can I just tell you that this is the best smelling photo shoot I’ve ever had? I mean, don’t you wish you had smell-a-vision…or…err…smell-a-monitor right now?

Apricot Bread

Ingredients

3 eggs 1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups white sugar 1 tsp. salt
2 tsps. vanilla extract 1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil 3 tsps. ground cinnamon
2 cups canned apricots, drained 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two (8x4 inch) loaf pans.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Blend in the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until just combined. Stir in the apricots.
Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

https://www.atthepicketfence.com/apricot-bread-and-freezer-jam/

This recipe is copyrighted by At The Picket Fence

Now, I have a confession. I’ve never made jam before. EVER. I know, I know, how on earth did I get to be almost 40 and have never made jam? Especially considering how much I love it! It’s just always seemed so intimidating to me. And complicated. And messy. And exhausting!

So I decided that for my first time I would go the “freezer jam” route.

And let me tell you people, if it’s wrong to want to spread Apricot Ginger Freezer Jam on everything then I don’t want to be right!

Apricot Ginger Freezer Jam

Ingredients

3 cans apricots (drained and rinsed very well)
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 pkg. fruit pectin (specified for freezer jam)
2 tsp. ground ginger

Instructions

Place drained and rinsed apricots in a large bowl. Using potato masher, crush fruit being sure to leave it slightly chunky. Add lemon juice to fruit in bowl. Gradually stir 1 box pectin into fruit. Mix thoroughly. Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to completely dissolve pectin. Pour 1 cup light corn syrup into fruit mixture. Mix well. Stir in sugar gradually until it is completely dissolved and no longer grainy. Stir in ground ginger. Pour into prepared containers leaving a 1/2 inch space at top for expansion during freezing. Cover. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours until set. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or store in freezer for up to 1 year.

https://www.atthepicketfence.com/apricot-bread-and-freezer-jam/

This recipe is copyrighted by At The Picket Fence

Of course, when you are already so in love with all things apricot, you just have to take it to the next level, right?

And we all know that everything’s better in a mason jar!

So, here’s my Apricot Trifle in a Mason Jar. I am all about having things be multi-functional and this dessert fit that bill. Layers of cubed apricot bread and whipped cream are topped with a dab of warm apricot jam.

Decadent? Yes. Affordable? Yes. Easy? Yes.

Gone in 30 seconds flat? YES!

There you have it my friends! Canned Apricots 3 ways!

Now, how about we give you a chance to win a fantastic prize?!

The winner of this giveaway will receive this beautiful KitchenAid Slow Cooker with Glass Lid and 24 hour programming PLUS an assortment of Libby’s Fruits and Vegetables products!

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit Libby’s for more recipes, tips and ideas to help your family Get Back to the Table AND to enter the Libby’s Solves Your #DinnerDilemma $300 Pinterest Sweepstakes!

Good luck and happy meal planning from my apricot-obsessed family to yours!

*Disclosure: I received compensation in exchange for services rendered on behalf of Libby’s Fruits and Vegetables*

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