Apricots are beautiful in color and they have a unique, sweet flavor. They make delicious jam and they’re often eaten dried. Apricots are good for you too. They’re rich in fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin A.
Apricots are in season at the grocery store and farmers’ market in August and September. Although you can get them almost year-round, they’ll taste best during those months.
Fun Facts
- Apricots belong to the rose family. They’re stone fruits related to peaches.
- Apricots are a good source of vitamin A, which helps keep your eyes healthy.
- Don’t refrigerate apricots. Set them in a bowl on the counter to ripen instead.
- 95 percent of the apricots grown commercially come from California.
- Apricot trees can live and produce fruit for 20 to 25 years if cared for.
- Apricots probably originated in China and were very popular in the Mediterranean.
- Colonists brought them to Virginia in the early 1700s, but they didn’t grow particularly well there. Spanish explorers brought them to California where they thrived in the mild climate.
- Apricots ripen before other stone fruits.
Vocabulary
- Commercial: products that are sold to the public
- Originate: where something comes from
Questions and Answers
Question: What is a stone fruit?
Answer: A stone fruit is a fruit with a large pit, such as a peach, plum, or apricot.
Learn More
Visit an apricot orchard.
Learn how to make apricot jam.
