The first of the stone fruits have arrived!
This means summer is around the corner. And, the apricots at our store are delicious.

Apricots are the first fruit trees to flower in the spring and the first stone fruits to hit our shelves. Apricots soften rapidly, leading to bruising when picking or shipping. So, growers harvest apricots when they’re still firm to avoid injury to the fruit. Therefore, the fruit in the stores may not yet be at its best flavor.

Apricots thrive in Mediterranean climates with warm, dry conditions—nearly 90 percent of the commercial apricot production for the U.S. happens in California.

How to pick an apricot
Look for fruits that have a deep orange-gold color rather than those that are pale orange or yellow. They should be plump and firm, with just a little softness to them. If they’re hard, they’re not ripe—if they’re squishy, they’ve gone too far. Ripe apricots have a lovely, unmistakable floral fragrance, so give them the sniff test.

Apricots can be kept for a short period at room temperature, or one to three weeks in the refrigerator.

Here are two of our favorite apricot recipes:

Grilled Apricot and Ricotta Tartine
A salad of cherry tomatoes and grilled apricots is spooned over creamy ricotta for these open-face sandwiches.

Fresh Cherry & Apricot Clafoutis
Clafoutis is a baked French dessert of fruit arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. The clafoutis is dusted with powdered sugar and served lukewarm, sometimes with cream.