THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Apricot

Lisa Karen Miller

To make Knotted Biscuits of Apricots:

“Take ripe apricots, pare, stone, and beat them small, then boil them until they are thick.  Take them off the fire and beat them up with sifted Sugar and Aniseeds to make a pretty fine paste.  Make into little rolls the thickness of straw and tye them in little Knots in what form you please; dry them in the Stove or in the Sun.

The best receipt of Mrs Jonah Moore, given to her by her grandmamma”

          They weren’t big on measurements in the 18^th century, which probably accounts for the wide variety in taste and quality of some of the dishes they enjoyed. But then, the best cooks whip things up with a keen eye, a practiced hand, and a discerning nose.

          Apricot seed yields a flavoring essential oil, and has been shown to inhibit tumor growth. The seed oil is used in cosmetics and massage oils, while the golden flesh is said to promote longevity. Dried apricots are a good source of iron and copper, making them potentially beneficial for anemia

          Cultivated since before we first invented writing, the apricot (considered native to Armenia) was grown in India as long ago as 3,000 BCE, and traveled the Silk Road with traders. In the garden oasis outside Damascus, the 19th century English naturalist Canon Henry Baker Tristram wrote, “The great apricot-trees were laden and bent down under strings of ripe, golden fruit. The lanes were strewn with apricots. Asses, mules, and camels in long strings carried heaped panniers of these ‘golden apples.’ “

          Latin for “precious,” the apricot is one of mythology’s golden apples. It largely disappeared from Europe (blame the decline of Rome) but was reintroduced to England by Henry VIII’s gardener. Never anything too exotic or expensive for that king.

          In England, dreaming of apricots was lucky. They are treated as an aphrodisiac in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” (Though if we believed all the tales about which plants, potions, or practices performed that particular function, our gullibility would be bottomless.)

          Long a favorite of royals and aristocrats, apricot’s beauty captivated English writer John Ruskin, who described it “shining in a sweet brightness of golden velvet.”

          Apricot, or its ground kernels, are a common ingredient in facial masks. Why not skip the cosmetics aisle and head on over to produce for the real thing? Cheaper, fresher, more natural, and just possibly more effective.

          Sometimes the ancient remedies are best.