Types:
Resembling a small peach wrapped around a flat stone pit, their tangy, sweet flavour and small size make them perfect for snacking. Apricots have been grown in Canada for over 200 years but only do well in the warmer climate zones of southern BC and Ontario.
How to Buy:
Choose fairly firm, smooth, plump apricots that are orange-yellow to orange colour. Avoid mushy or bruised apricots. Hard fruit that is tinged with green may be ripened in a paper bag at room temperature; however, it will not reach its optimum flavour.
How to Store:
Refrigerate:
Like most fruit, apricots are best eaten freshly picked; nevertheless, they can be stored in the refrigerator for some time. Do not wash apricots prior to use. Let the fruit warm to room temperature prior to enjoying.
Freeze:
Slice apricots in half and remove the pit as it will impart a bitter flavor. Dipping the fruit in an ascorbic acid solution will discourage discoloration. Place fruit in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Alternatively, blanch the apricots by placing them in boiling water for one minute and then plunging them into cold water prior to draining and freezing. Another option is to pack the fruit in sugar or syrup before freezing. The fruit will last from three months to one year in the freezer.
Freestone varieties of apricots are the best option for canning or drying. Commercially canned apricots often have a deeper flavour as they are left on the tree longer than the fresh fruit.
How to Prepare:
To enjoy apricots raw, simply rinse them well. To slice, cut lengthwise around the circumference and gently twist to separate the halves and remove the pit.
Apricots pair well with lamb in Mediterranean dishes. They also work well with ham, chicken, duck and in stuffings and glazes. Apricots are versatile in desserts, and may be enjoyed poached, in pies, puddings, scones, cakes or crumbles. They make a lovely jam and can be used as the foundation of wine or brandy.
Nutrition Fact:
One fresh apricot provides up to 40% of your daily vitamin A requirement. They are also a good source of potassium, iron, beta carotene, and fibre.
Dried apricots are an excellent source of potassium, as well as a good source of iron, vitamin A and calcium.
How They Are Grown:
Canada’s apricot production is pretty small (0.10% of all fruit grown commercially in Canada) compared to other tree fruit crops like apples and peaches. Here apricots are primarily grown in warmer climates like the southern interior of British Columbia and Southern Ontario because they require high temperatures and lots of sun to ripen.
Apricot trees are grown in orchards and bloom early which makes them susceptible to frost. They are the first fruit tree to flower in BC in late March or early April. Flowers that are pollinated by bees and other insects turn into fruit. After the fruit has begun to grow, pickers ‘thin’ the crop by removing smaller or damaged fruit so the tree can put more energy into making the remaining fruit larger and better quality. Fruit on the same tree will mature at different times, depending on when it was pollinated. The trees are then harvested three to four times by hand during July and August to collect all the fruit when firm but not fully mature.
After picking, fruit is transported to the packing house to be graded and packed. They are then placed in cold storage and shipped to market within a few days of being picked.
Canadian crop is available: July through mid-August.
What’s in Season? Nectarines