Apricot


Scientific Binomial Name: Prunus armeniaca

Selection Information


Usage: Eating fresh, baking, glazes, canning, dried, preserves and jams, desserts.

Selection & Storage: An Apricot should be well-formed and fairly firm. Pick apricots that are dark yellow or yellow-orange in color. Apricots are very fragile and should not be handled roughly or stored at high room temperatures. To ripen apricots, place them in a sealed plastic or paper bag and keep them at room temperature.

Avoid: Avoid apricots that are dull looking, soft, mushy or extremely firm. Bruised areas will be obviously brown.

Seasonal Information


You should be able to find apricots in most major stores from January until early August.

California apricots are available from May through July while Washington apricots are on the market from June through early August.

Imported apricots come from Chile and New Zealand and are available from January through March.

Apricot Nutritional Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Apricot (35g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 17

Calories from Fat 1


% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0g

0% 


Saturated Fat 0g

0% 


Trans Fat


Cholesterol 0mg

0% 


Sodium 1mg

0% 


Total Carbohydrate 4g

1% 


Dietary Fiber 1g

3% 


Sugars 3g

 


Protein 0g


 

Vitamin A 13%

Vitamin C 6%


Calcium 0%

Iron 1%


*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Source: PMA's Labeling Facts

Apricots are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They're also a good source of Dietary Fiber and Potassium, and a great source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Dehydrating Apricots




Apricot Tips & Trivia


  • Apricots are known as, "Moons of the Faithful" in China where they originated. Their cultivation spread westward from China to Persia and the Mediterranean, eventually coming to the New World with Spanish settlers.
  • The apricot brought to North America by Spanish explorers who planted them in the gardens of their missions.
  • The first major North American apricot harvest was recorded in 1792 south of San Francisco.