BC Farm Products A-Z

Apricots are a part of the tree fruit industry. They are known as stone fruits because they have a single seed in a hard shell. They are also called soft fruit as opposed to hard fruits such as apples and pears. The fruit is a light yellow colour on some varieties to a strong orange to orange-red on others. It is not fuzzy like a peach, but some varieties have a pebbled appearance. The fruit range in size from slightly larger than a golf ball to a little smaller than a tennis ball, but the fruit is not generally round.

WHERE ARE APRICOTS PRODUCED IN BC?

Apricots are produced in the south end of the Okanagan Valley and the Similkameen Valley in the Cawston-Keremeos areas. Apricots are sensitive to spring frosts, susceptible to disease in humid climates and require high temperatures to ripen. They grow well in the same locations as grapes, peaches, cherries, nectarines, and sour cherries. South, southwest and southeast facing slopes are usually the best.

HOW MANY APRICOTS DO WE PRODUCE?

BC produces 2.2 to 3.1 million kilograms of apricots per year. Production can vary depending on winter damage and spring frosts. This is roughly 14,000 to 15,000 half bins of fruit or enough fruit to load up about 100 semi-trailer trucks. About 90% of these are sold as fresh fruit; the other 10% goes for processing. 300 growers produce this amount on approximately 240 hectares. These are small blocks of apricots, which are usually part of a larger mixed fruit planting of peaches, cherries, apples and pears.

HOW ARE APRICOTS PRODUCED?

Once apricot trees are in production, they need to be pruned each year in late winter. Apricots are the first fruit to come to flower in the Okanagan, from late March to mid April. Blossoms are thinned by hand. Throughout the growing season, the trees have to be irrigated, fertilized and checked for any insect or disease problems. When the fruit starts to form, some of it is removed. Doing this enables the tree to put its energy toward making the remaining fruit bigger. There are 2 to 4 pickings from mid July to early August. The fruit is picked in canvas picking bags and placed into 1/2 bins that hold 150kg.

WHAT DOES AN APRICOT LOOK LIKE WHEN I USE IT?

Fruit is ripe when it is a golden colour and gives way to slight palm pressure. Apricots are eaten fresh, can be canned, frozen, dried, or used in jams, jellies and syrups. When it is canned, it usually is cut into halves and the stone is removed prior to canning. Apricots are dried as halves and can be quite soft and pliable. From a nutritional standpoint, apricots are a very strong source of beta-carotene and vitamin C.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE APRICOTS LEAVE THE FARM?

After harvest the bins are taken directly to the packinghouse, where the apricots are graded, packed into boxes and placed in cold storage. They are usually shipped to market in refrigerated trucks within a few days of being picked. Fruit can be picked when firm but not fully mature. It will last several weeks in controlled storage.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO APRICOT GROWERS FACE?

Fruit blossoms must be pollinated before fruit will start to form. To ensure that pollination is as complete as possible, orchardists place beehives in the orchard when 10 to 20% of the blossoms are open. If the bees are put in the orchard earlier than this, the bees will go beyond the orchard to forage for nectar. Orchardists pay beekeepers to bring the hives to their orchard.

WHO'S INVOLVED IN PRODUCING APRICOTS?

Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 3 apricots (144g)
Calories 60	Calories from Fat 10
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g	1%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 0mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 11g	4%
Dietary Fibre 1g	4%
Sugars 11g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A 45%	Vitamin C 20%
Calcium 2%	Iron 2%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Apricots

WHAT ARE APRICOTS?