APRICOTS TODAY
Fresh, ripe, well-displayed California apricots are irresistible.
And while their peak season is short, consumer demand is growing.
The average size of the fresh crop is up to 1.5 million 24-pound
packages, so you can make the most of those glorious weeks we know
as the apricot season.
Over four hundred growers produce apricots from orchards covering
21,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley and northern California.
About 95 percent of the apricots grown in the U.S. come from California.
Many different varieties grow in California, each with special characteristics.
The most prevalent varieties are the Pattersons, Blenheims, Tiltons,
and Castlebrites. Growers continually experiment with new varieties
that deliver sweet, juicy flavor and ship or process well.
AMERICA'S MOST IRRESISTIBLE FRUIT VARITIES
| Apricot Variety |
Avg. Maturity Date |
General Size Trend |
Profile/Flavor |
| Poppy |
7-May |
Med/Large |
Solid Orange/Good Flavor |
| Earlicot |
11-May |
Large |
Firm/High Color |
| Lorna |
12-May |
Large |
Deep Orange/Juicy |
| Robada |
17-May |
Medium |
Red Blush/High Sugar |
| Ambercot |
25-May |
Medium |
Firm/Sweet |
| Jordanne |
25-May |
Large |
High Color/Flavor |
| Castlebrite |
28-May |
Medium |
Firm/Full Flavor |
| Katy |
5-Jun |
Large |
Firm/Good Flavor |
| Helena |
8-Jun |
Large |
Firm/Juicy |
| Tri Gem |
11-Jun |
Large |
Firm/Good Flavor |
| Goldbar |
15-Jun |
Medium |
Firm/Deep Red Blush |
| Patterson |
15-Jun |
Medium |
Firm/Good Flavor |
| Tomcot |
15-Jun |
Large |
Orange/Sweet |
| Blenheim |
19-Jun |
Medium |
Intense Flavor |
| Tilton |
25-Jun |
Large |
Firm/Tart Flavor |
Other varieties shipped are: Derby, Modesto, Royal Blenheim, Tracy
and Westley.
FACTS & TIPS
Apricots can be halved or sliced then frozen in syrup made from
2 cups sugar to 5 cups water; add 2 ounces ascorbic acid for each
2 1/2 cups syrup. Plunge the whole apricots into boiling water for
about thirty seconds, and peel, pit and halve or slice.
Apricots can be made into wine and brandy.
They are one of the best natural sources of Vitamin A, especially when
dried. Essential for healthy skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin
A is also needed for good sight; insufficient amounts can cause
night blindness, impair sight and increase susceptibility to colds
and other illnesses. Although it is one of the few vitamins which
we can theoretically build up to toxic levels, this doesn't normally
happen if it is taken naturally.
HISTORY
Apricots originally hailed from China. Cuttings of this golden fruit
made their way across the Persian Empire to the Mediterranean where
they flourished. The Spanish explorers get credit for introducing
the apricot to the New World, and specifically to California, where
they were planted in the gardens of Spanish missions. In 1792, in
an area south of San Francisco, the first major production of apricots
was recorded.
