Apricots are stone fruits with a tart, sweet flavor, and soft, silky skin.
They are usually pale yellow to orange, roughly the size of a plum.
Ripe apricots are typically consumed raw, but they are also used in cooking and are usually dried.
What is an Apricot?
If you’ve ever eaten a dried apricot or used it in a recipe, you know that they taste different than fresh apricots.
The stone fruit is usually used in sweet dishes and desserts, and it can be found dried to add sweetness and flavor.
Most are dried since the fruits are delicate and cannot be stored for long periods without spoiling.
Apricots are a small, round fruit slightly larger than a plum and have a slight orange-reddish hue.
They are part of the stone fruit family, including nectarines, peaches, and cherries.
While they have a tart flavor when eaten raw, dried apricots are extremely sweet due to dehydration.
Some people use them as a healthy snack, but they’re also used as ingredients in baked goods and sauces to add tartness.
In addition to being eaten raw or dried, apricots are also canned.
They’re usually served raw, but they can also be cooked.
They have a soft texture and are packed with vitamin A and fiber when ripe.
They’re used to flavor salads, juices, sauces, and similar dishes.
The fruit comes from different species of trees in the Prunus family, including the apricot tree known as “Armeniaca Vulgaris,” which originated in the mountains of central Asia.
Apricots are usually orange or yellow, and they reach full ripeness when they become soft to the touch.
How to Use Apricots
Apricots can be eaten fresh as snacks when they’re in season.
They’re also a favorite fruit to can and make preserves and jams due to their perishable nature.
Other uses include grilling or drying them to add tartness.
You can find recipes on the internet that use dried apricots, but keep in mind that they are not an exact substitute for fresh apricots when cooking with them.
Dried apricots can be eaten on their own or chopped for use in dishes, such as fruit salads that require a little sweetness.
This is a great fruit and can be eaten as a snack or in recipes.
When using apricots, you should remember that they will become sweeter when dried since the sugars are concentrated during dehydration.
If you happen to have fresh apricots, try adding them to your breakfasts for an added sweetness boost.
What Do Apricots Taste Like?
Apricots taste sweet with a tart, sour finish.
They’re described as a cross between the plum and peach.
The flavor is more robust and richer but less floral than peaches.
This is the reason they’re able to be served in cooked dishes along with food items like turkey, pork, and chicken.
Apricots are sweet when eaten fresh, but they taste even sweeter when dried.
Once dried, the fruit becomes chewy in texture, and it has an intense flavor similar to raisins or prunes.
The sweetness of apricot juice is also enhanced when the fruit is dehydrated.
Nutritional Value
100 grams of apricots fresh (around 2-3 apricots, based on the size) contains 48 calories, 11 grams of carbs, 2 milligrams of fiber, about 1.
25 grams of protein, and less than 1 gram of fat.
It also contains Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, potassium, and vitamin C.
Vitamin A is essential for good vision and healthy skin, while vitamin B6 helps produce neurotransmitters that signal the brain.
Potassium works with sodium to help maintain fluid balance and aids in proper digestion.
It’s also important to note that potassium is important for heart health.
These are just some of the nutrients that are found in apricots.
They’re also high in Vitamin C along with dietary fiber, making them a great fruit to include in your diet.
Apricot Recipes
Here are some recipes featuring fresh Apricots.
In numerous recipes like pies, cobblers, and crisps, apricots can also be substituted with other fruits, such as plums, nectarines, peaches, and nectarines.
- Cherry Apricot Crisp Recipe – fresh apricots can be used in place of cherries when making this delicious treat.
- Apricot with Pistachios Recipe – not only do pistachios add a little variety to an otherwise typical bowl of fruit, but they also add a crunchy texture to the fruit that’s rather pleasing to eat.
- Lemon Apricot Sauce Recipe – this sauce is served over chicken, and it’s simple yet delicious. It can also make other dishes like glazed ham or turkey sliders.
Where to Buy Apricots?
Fresh apricots can be found at the produce sections of supermarkets and farmers’ markets from the end of spring until late summer.
Most fresh apricots are picked while they’re still firm to minimize shipping damages.
When picking fresh apricots, ensure that they are free of any trace of green.
The flesh should soften under gentle pressure when placed in the palms of your hands and should be bursting with a fresh and ripe scent.
Avoid those which are soft, bruised, or soft.
Apricots that have been dried can be found at most supermarkets.
In the place of fresh apricots, you may choose to use canned apricots in recipes that require a modest amount.
If you’re going to substitute canned fruit for fresh in a recipe, keep in mind that the result will taste sweeter due to higher sugar content.
How to Store Apricots?
Apricots that are not ripe will continue to develop if kept at room temperature in a bag, away from direct sunlight.
Monitor the rate of frequently ripening because they’ll quickly lose their ripeness.
Once they are ripe, you can store them for two weeks in the fridge.
To freeze apricots, cut them in half and then cut off the pit.
Then, store in airtight bags in the freezer for three months.
Apricots can also be stuffed in syrup or sugar for freezing and frozen for up to one year.
Dry apricots must be kept in the refrigerator to last for up to 6 months.
What’s the Difference Between a Peach and an Apricot?
One kind of fruit which are often compared to apricots is peaches.
Peaches and apricots come from the same family of botanicals called Prunus.
The apricots have been classified as Prunus armeniaca, and peaches are classified as Prunus persica; they’re almost the same in terms of nutritional value.
Peaches and apricots are often grouped when discussing their flavor because they share a similar sweet flavor.
The texture is also very similar between them, soft and moist with a pit inside that should be removed before serving or cooking.
Appearance-wise, peaches are lighter in color than apricots.
They’re also fuzzier, plus size and have a more rounded shape.
Peaches are also larger than apricots.
On average, peaches are about 2″ to 4″ in diameter, while apricots are usually not bigger than 1″.
Both fruits are harvested in the summer and late spring, and often, the two fruits will be used interchangeably for recipes.
When picking peaches and apricots, look for firm, smooth, and free of bruises or soft patches.
The skin should yield to pressure like a ripe peach.
By looking at the color on the stem end, you can tell how ripe they are.
If they are yellow, they are ripe.
A red color means the fruits are not ready to be picked yet.
On the other hand, Apricots possess a more tart flavor than peaches that are floral and sweet.
From a culinary point of view, the primary difference is that peaches are used in cooking while apricots make fantastic jams and fruit wines.
Peaches can be served raw or cooked, depending on the recipe, of course.
During the winter, when they’re not in season, they’re often canned, which is a readily available source of this sweet summertime treat year around.
Apricots also make excellent jams and jellies as well as fruit wines.
Apricots are more juicy and juicy than peaches.
It is, therefore, possible to substitute one for the other in numerous recipes; this could alter the taste of the dish.
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