How To Dry Ripe Apricocks Or Apricocks Or Plums

This recipe for drying apricots comes from Rachel Kirk in 1707, a period when preserving fruit was an important part of managing food supplies before refrigeration. Sugar was a prized ingredient, often used to both preserve and candy fruit, indicating a kitchen quite privileged in its time. Recipes like these were passed among learned households, and the method shows both culinary ingenuity and resourcefulness, finding a use even for leftover syrup. The emphasis on clarification, repeated simmering, and careful drying reflects both the desire for visual appeal and the need for long-term storage, making a delicacy to be enjoyed when fresh fruit was out of season.

In the early 18th century, this work would have been done using a heavy copper or brass preserving pan set over a hearth fire. Simple wooden or pewter plates or racks were used for drying the fruit, sometimes placed in a sunny window or warm kitchen. Sieves, skimmers, and muslin cloths aided in clarifying syrup, while clean linen and egg whites helped purify and improve clarity. The fruit might be dried near the hearth or in a warm, dry chamber, reflecting the kitchen's vital place at the heart of domestic preservation.