If you live where winters are cold, summers are hot and dry, and there are few late frosts, you know about luscious tree-ripened apricots. Should you come across ripe apricots of one of the great varietiesΓÇöRoyal or BlenheimΓÇöenjoy them out of hand or cut into a fruit cup, for these soft fruits are costly to pack and ship. If you live elsewhere, the best-tasting fruit will be the barely ripe ones you cook.
In selecting fruit, size is less important than variety and ripeness. If apricots are soft, juicy, and fragrant, eat them the same or next day. They will ripen after picking, but fruit that is greenish yellow or does not have an apricot aroma will not have enough time to develop good flavor before it spoils. Ripen fruits by the paper bag method. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Cooked apricots are delicious, since heat intensifies their flavor. For cooking, use just-ripe fruit. Cook apricots only long enough to soften them, for they are mushy if overcooked. Apricots can be baked or grilled, but poaching preserves their delicacy. Most recipes for peaches, nectarines, and plums apply to apricots. As with other stone fruits, a little orange juice or zest emphasizes the apricot flavor. Apricots have a special affinity for apples and almonds, close relatives in the rose family.
