Timing for harvesting apricots (Prunus armeniaca) is critical when you want the best flavor. Apricots belong to a category of fruit that continues to ripen after it's picked, but it's at its sweetest when plucked from the tree. An advantage of the backyard apricot tree is the ability to harvest apricots when they've reached optimal taste.
Apricot is a stone fruit growing in United States Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 9. Apricot trees thrive in Mediterranean climates with warm, dry conditions; nearly 90 percent of the commercial apricot production for the United States is from California. Apricots are the first fruit trees to flower in the spring, leaving them susceptible to damage from early frost. Some varieties require another tree for cross-pollination but many apricots are self-fruitful.
Apricots are climacteric fruits; they can ripen on or off the tree. Some climacteric fruits become sweeter after they're picked, due to starch reserves converting to sugar as the fruit ripens. Fruit without starch reserves, such as apricots, don't gain in sweetness once they're harvested, although they'll continue to soften as the cell walls of the fruit break down. For the best flavor, apricots should be left to mature on the tree. They ripen in early to mid-summer, depending on the variety.
Thin a heavy apricot crop to ensure the fruit isn't small when it matures and to promote uniform ripening. Fruit will ripen several days earlier, as well, on well-thinned trees. Space fruit about 1 to 2 inches apart, removing apricots as necessary to maintain the spacing. Apricots are ready to pick when the background color of the skin turns from green to yellow and the fruit is starting to soften but is still firm enough to handle.
Even with early thinning, the fruit on the tree doesn't ripen at the same time, and you may need to harvest apricots over a few weeks. Apricots soften rapidly, leading to bruising when picking or shipping. Apricot growers harvest apricots when they're still firm to avoid injury to the fruit, but the fruit may not be at its best flavor. Apricots can be kept for a short period at room temperature, or one to three weeks in the refrigerator. You can also preserve them by drying them in the sun.
- Iowa State University Agricultural Marketing Resource Center: Apricots
- University of California Cooperative Extension: Apricots -- Calendar of Operations for Home Gardeners
- UC IPM Online: Harvesting and Storage
- Government of British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture: Apricots in Your Garden
- Utah State University Cooperative Extension: Apricot Prunus Armeniaca
- Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Getty Images