Apricot Facts

Apricot Nutrition,
Choosing & Storing Apricot Fruit

A few apricot facts....they're not the most popular fruit, but they are really healthy and if you choose the right ones, they are a very sweet with a bit of tangy flavor and sweet aroma.

Apricots are actually a relative of the peach family. They are known as a stone fruit because they have a single seed in a hard shell, and a fine soft velvety skin.

They are jam packed with Vitamin A, potassium, iron and beta carotene, and they are a good source of fibre. Dried apricots are an excellent source of potassium, as well as a good source of iron, Vitamin C and calcium.

Fresh, dried or canned, apricots are one of the best sources of beta-carotene, with just one fresh apricot providing about the daily recommendation of vitamin A.

Apricots are excellent for eating fresh, cooked in homemade jams or baked in cakes and pies and other fruit recipes.

Perfectly ripe, fresh apricots are hard to find in the supermarket. Here are a few tips for choosing and storing apricots, and for keeping fruit fresh....

• When picking or buying apricots look for fairly firm, smooth, plump, well-formed fruit that has an orange-yellow to orange color.
• If the fruit is hard and tinged with green it won't develop its full flavor. Fully ripe fruit is soft to the touch, full of juice, and should be eaten as soon as possible.
• While they will ripen in color, texture, and juiciness after being picked, the flavor and sweetness will stay at the same level as when they were picked and will not improve.
• Avoid apricots that are bruised, soft, or mushy.
• Unripe apricots should be stored in a paper bag at room temperature away from heat and direct sunlight.
• Fresh apricots ripen in usually two to four days, and once ripe, will keep for a day or two, if stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. When ripe, apricots turn golden with a slight blush.
• If refrigerated, let the fruit warm to room temperature before eating, and don't wash apricots until you are ready to use them.

Apricot fruit is wonderful in desserts and main course dishes and often can be substituted in recipes that call for nectarines or peaches. They are also delicious in other pastries and quick breads. And one more apricot facts... apricot fruits can distilled into brandy and liqueur, and the essential oil from the pits is sold as bitter almond oil.

More Information To Read.....:)

Apricot Varieties
Apricot Recipes
Okanagan Fruit Ripening Dates
Okanagan Fruit History

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