Apricots with smooth skin, which indicates that they're fully ripe. Choose ones that are not overly hard or soft, and that are free from white spots, cracks, and other blemishes. Once you've ripened them at room temperature, you can store them in the refrigerator for a week. Blanch apricots for 30 seconds to make removing the skin easier. If you aren't eating or cooking the fruit immediately, sprinkle just-cut apricots with any citrus juice or alcohol, such as rum, to prevent the meat from darkening once it's exposed to air.
Apricots can replace peaches and nectarines in almost any recipe.
The kernel inside the apricot pit is edible, but contains a toxic substance called hydrocyanic acid that should be consumed only in small quantities. Roasting the kernel destroys its toxicity. About 97 percent of the apricots grown in the U.S. come from California. Patterson, California, is called the Apricot Capital of the World. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement .