Fine sieved apricot from Alpe Pragas, velvety and smooth
Fine sieved apricot from Alpe Pragas is a smooth fruit spread made from Vinschgau apricots, pressed through a fine sieve after cooking. What remains is pure pulp in a 335-gram jar, honey-sweet, sun-yellow, and with the delicate acidity characteristic of stone fruit.
Fine sieved apricot is the smooth fruit spread from Alpe Pragas in South Tyrol's Prags Valley, simply called Alba on the label. Three-quarters of the jar is apricot, with added sugar and lemon juice, thickened with pectin from apples.
Honey-sweet, sun-warmed, and completely smooth
Upon opening, the scent of ripe apricot blossoms, warm and honey-sweet, just like a midsummer day in the orchard.
On bread, the spread is velvety and dense, with the full apricot aroma and the delicate acidity of stone fruit. Because there is nothing left to chew, the flavor arrives immediately and in its entirety, without the detour of individual pieces.
It sits sun-yellow in the jar and is slightly softer than chunky preserves, because some of the solid components are left behind in the sieve during the straining process. In return, it spreads effortlessly, even on fresh white bread that would otherwise tear under a firm consistency.
Through the sieve, until only pulp remains
Fine sieved means that the cooked fruit is pressed through a fine sieve until a smooth pulp remains.
Peel residues and fibers are left behind, while the pulp passes through. The result is a spread that can be distributed like cream, which is why children often prefer it to the chunky version, and why kitchens use it for fillings and glazes.
Marille is the name for apricot in South Tyrol and Austria, and that is the name printed on the jar. It traces back to the Italian "armellino" and has been preserved throughout the Alpine region.
Apricots from Robert Vent in Schlanders
The apricots for this jar come from Robert Vent in Schlanders in the Vinschgau valley.
Vinschgau is one of the driest and warmest valleys in the Alpine region, and the apricot has grown on the slopes above the Adige river there for generations. Warm days bring it sweetness, while cool nights lock in the acidity; together, they create a depth that quickly ripened fruit lacks.
At Alpe Pragas, the apricots are processed when ripe, cooked with sugar and lemon juice, and only then sieved. The sequence is important, because only the cooking makes the flesh soft enough to pass through the sieve.
From breakfast bread to pancakes
On white bread and brioche in the morning, it is right at home, as it is in quark and plain yogurt.
In the kitchen, it plays to its strength—its smoothness. It serves as a filling for apricot dumplings and doughnuts, becomes a classic when spooned over thin crepes filled with sweetened quark, and as "apricotage"—the thin layer of apricot under a cake glaze—it helps the icing set.
Take it out of the jar with a clean spoon and keep it refrigerated after opening; this preserves its bright color and fresh fragrance.
The version with pieces can be found under Apricot Fruit Spread, and the entire smooth range under Fine sieved by Alpe Pragas. Everything else from the Dolomites is in the Alpe Pragas assortment.
