Unsulphured Apricots

Unsulphured apricots are best kept in the refrigerator. They will then keep for at least three months.

It was always believed that the apricot originally came from Armenia, but this is not the case. The apricot comes from China. Only 3000 years later did the apricot appear in Armenia. Around 70 BC the fruit was spread throughout Europe by the Romans, via Greece. Nowadays apricots are mainly grown in Southern Europe, in countries such as France, Turkey (80%) and Spain. Outside Europe, the United States is the most important producer.

The apricot is a stone fruit and grows on the apricot tree. The fruits are egg-shaped and have a yellow/orange skin. The tree can reach a height of ten metres. The tree only bears its first fruits after 4 to 5 years. The harvest can then amount to as much as 200 kilos.

Once the fruits are ripe, they are sulphured. This is done to kill bacteria and insects and to preserve the fruit's orange colour. It extends the shelf life of the fruit. After sulphuring they are dried in the sun, which takes about 3 to 4 days. The stone is then removed and they are dried in the sun for another three to four days. After that they are washed thoroughly. There are also unsulphured apricots. These are called ‘naturals’. They are dark orange to brownish. There is little difference in taste between sulphured and unsulphured apricots.