Seasonal Spotlight: All About Apricots

Welcome to the start of stone fruit season!  Apricots are one of the first stone fruits to hit the markets in May and is like a herald of the start of summer.  While apricots are available canned and dried all year long there’s nothing that beats biting into the sweet and tart golden nuggets of early summer.

Apricots are actually not native to the Americas but were brought to the US from Europe during the colonization of the Americas.  (And, of note, apricots are thought to not actually be native to Europe either, but likely originated in Northern China and have spread via human agriculture to now be grown throughout the world).

In the United States, however, the original apricot tree is rumored to have been grown in Virginia brought by European settlers during the 1720s.  However, apricots really took hold as a summer fruit staple when the Spanish began growing them in the California missions in the 1790s.And, similar to much of our produce, California’s Mediterranean climate has proven perfect for growing apricots for our consumption.

The flavor profile of the apricot is sweet, tart, and a little earthy.  It’s similar to a peach, but a little more floral.  The fruit tends to become dense and slippery when cooked.  It’s perfect for making in jams, pies, and other desserts.  But, truly, there’s nothing quite like biting into a ripe juicy and completely unadulterated apricot.

But, as food bloggers, adulteration is our motto.  So here is a compilation of some of the best food blogger recipes out there for this Seasonal Spotlight: All About Apricots post.

Hope you enjoy!

Mini Apricot Cakes – by Happy Food Dance

Apricot Raw Honey and Goat Cheese Appetizer – by Sweet Phi

Apricot Granola Cookies – The Beach House Kitchen

Lamb Curry with Apricots – Add Some Butter

Peach, Apricot, and Vanilla Jam – Matters of the Belly

Vanilla Apricot Tart – Eats Well With Others

Apricot Whiskey Smash – Lauren Kelp