Caballero B. (ed.) Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition. Ten-Volume Set

Подождите немного. Документ загружается.

and its Manufacture; Chemistry and Microbiology of

Cidermaking.) Other minor uses include dried apples,

yogurts, cakes, muffins, candy apples, salads, and

fried or baked apples.

0025 Apple juice consumption varies widely with region.

In North America, citrus juices are more popular and

apple juice accounts for only about 8% of total juice

consumption. In contrast, in Germany, apple juice

accounts for approximately 45% of total juice con-

sumption. In addition to being a popular single-ingre-

dient juice, apple juice is also very popular as an

ingredient in blended juice mixes. The USA and

Poland are the largest apple juice-producing coun-

tries. These countries each account for about 20%

of selected country annual output. In the USA, Mich-

igan, California, and New York account for most of

the apple juice production with 40–45, 70, and 40%,

respectively, of their crops being processed as juice.

Most apple juice (95%) produced in Poland is

exported, primarily to Germany and other neighbor-

ing countries. The profitability of apple juice produc-

tion has led many Polish growers to switch to

varieties which are more suitable for processing. In

South America, Argentina and Chile are the primary

producers of apple juice, most of which is exported to

the USA. Traditionally, apples not suitable for the

fresh market are utilized for juice. In recent years,

China has become a major apple juice producer.

Seealso: Antioxidants:NaturalAntioxidants;Synthetic

Antioxidants;SyntheticAntioxidants,Characterization

andAnalysis;RoleofAntioxidantNutrientsinDefense

Systems; Chilled Storage:Principles;Attainmentof

ChilledConditions;QualityandEconomicConsiderations;

MicrobiologicalConsiderations;UseofModified-

atmospherePackaging; Cider (Cyder; Hard Cider):The

ProductanditsManufacture;ChemistryandMicrobiology

ofCidermaking; Controlled-atmosphere Storage:

ApplicationsforBulkStorageofFoodstuffs;Effectson

FruitandVegetables; Pectin:Propertiesand

Determination;FoodUse

Further Reading

Committee on Dietary Allowances (1989) Recommended

Dietary Allowances. Washington, DC: National Acad-

emy of Sciences.

De Coster J (1998) European trends in the development of

apple varieties. In: Proceedings of INTERPOMA. The

Apple in the World: Growing, Storing and Marketing.

Obstbau Weinbau 35(5).

Food and Agriculture Organization (1998) Production stat-

istics. FAOSTAT. http://apps.fao.org.

Janick J and Moore JN (1996) Fruit Breeding. New York:

Wiley.

Kupferman E (1997) Controlled Atmosphere Storage of

Apples. CA ’97 Proceedings, vol. 2, pp. 1–30. Posthar-

vest Horticulture Series no. 16. University of California,

Davis. http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Produce/Storage/

CARapples.pdf

Naeve L (1997) Apple varieties and their uses. Horticulture

and Home Pest News IC-477(23): 138–139.

Nicetto N (1998) Trends in European apple production. In:

Proceedings of INTERPOMA. The Apple in the World:

Growing, Storing and Marketing. Obstbau Weinbau

35(5).

Teskey B and Shoemaker JS (1982) Tree Fruit Production.

Westport, Connecticut: AVI.

USDA (1982) Composition of Foods: Fruits and Fruit

Juices, Raw Processed, Prepared. US Department of

Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Services,

Agriculture Handbook, pp. 8–9. Washington, DC: US

Government Printing Office.

Werth K (1998) Apple growing in Asia. In: Proceedings of

INTERPOMA. The Apple in the World: Growing, Stor-

ing and Marketing. Obstbau Weinbau 35(5).

Westwood MN (1993) Temperate Zone Pomology, 3rd

edn. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press.

tbl0004 Table 4 Summaryofrecommendedstoragetemperature,levelsofoxygenandcarbondioxide,andstoragelifeofapplesin

controlledatmospherestorageformajorapplecultivarsintheworld

CultivarTemperature(



C)Oxygen(%)Carbondioxide(%)Storagelife(months)

Braeburn0.71.81.06–9

Fuji0.31.41.07–11

Gala1.31.71.62–9

Golden0.51.62.37–11

GrannySmith0.61.42.07–11

Idared1.92.12.57–10

Jonagold0.91.42.75–10

McIntosh2.52.12.95–10

Reddelicious01.61.86–11

Royalgala0.21.51.85–8

Average0.91.72.0

Source:KupfermanE (1997).ControlledAtmosphereStorageofApples.CA’97Proceedings,vol.2,pp.1–30.PostharvestHorticultureseriesno.16.

UniversityofCalifornia,Davis.http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/produce/storage/CARapples.pdf,withpermission.

294 APPLES

APRICOTS

S M Southwick, University of California, Davis, CA,

USA

Introduction

0001 Apricots are one of the most ancient crops produced

by humans and the fruit is grown on every continent

of the globe. Most apricot production in the world is

centered in Europe and Asia with lesser production in

the Americas, Africa, and Oceania. In the former

USSR, after years of collection and evaluation, there

are as many as 1800 cultivars and forms of Prunus

armeniaca and in China there are more than 2000

cultivars, many of which are purported to be widely

adapted, large-fruited, and of excellent quality. The

apricot is generally adapted to narrow climatic areas.

The chilling requirements required for rest limit

adaptability. As a result of narrow adaptation, favor-

able local varieties are not always produced econom-

ically in other regions. Apricots are soft fruits with a

hard stone (stone fruits) and are generally sensitive to

disease and to high or low temperatures. Apricots can

have outstanding organoleptic qualities and the fruit

is high in fiber and vitamins, making it ideal in the

human diet. Consequently, this versatile fruit is con-

sumed in fresh, canned, dried, and other processed

forms. The varied germplasm which exists in the

world is being utilized to improve existing apricot

cultivars, helping to insure a continued supply

of high-quality, healthy apricots for the world

population.

Global Distribution and Relative

Commercial Importance

0002 Apricot production in the former USSR is located

primarily in Ukraine, Russian Federation, Armenia,

and in the Central Asian Republics (Uzbekistan, Ta-

jikistan, Turkmenistan), and the Northern Caucasus

(Krasnodar region, Daghestan and Karbardino-Balk-

arsk ASSR). Smaller growing regions exist in Azerbai-

jan, Georgia, Kirghizia, and Kazakhstan.

0003 A relatively small production of apricots is located

in Switzerland and Poland, with increased amounts

in Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. To a larger

extent, apricots are grown in the Mediterranean

region, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Yugoslavia,

Slovakia, Croatia, Macedonia, Albania, Greece, and

Israel. In North Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, and Mo-

rocco are the leading producers. The central and

western Mediterranean countries produce more than

one-third of the world’s production of apricots. Apri-

cot cultivars of the Near East include cultivars found

in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and

Turkey. Existing local varieties and ecotypes were

developed by growers and horticulturists, and many

small orchards today consist of wild seedlings mixed

with cultivated forms. Turkey produces many of the

world’s apricots and there are an estimated 10 10

trees, of which about 50% are budded. Most of the

fruit is consumed fresh; the remainder is dried and

some of that is exported. In Iran there are an esti-

mated 8996 ha (22 230 acres) of apricots. Most of the

apricots are consumed fresh or dried both in Iran and

in the previously mentioned countries. The apricots

grown in Iraq and Pakistan are mostly generated by

seed and consequently there is a wide variation in

productivity from year to year.

0004In Australia and New Zealand, apricots are planted

to a limited extent. In 1990, it was reported that

approximately 27 300 and 7800 t of apricots were

produced in Australia and New Zealand, respectively.

Approximately 90% of Australia’s apricots are pro-

duced in the River Murray irrigation areas in South

Australia and Victoria and along the tributaries of the

Murray in New South Wales and Victoria. Most of

the apricots are dried. In New Zealand the main area

of production (85%) is located in the South Island in

the Central Otago region. Hawke’s Bay is another

apricot-producing area in New Zealand. In contrast

to Australia, 60% of New Zealand’s apricot produc-

tion is sold fresh and 35% processed. South Africa

produced approximately 46 000 t of apricots in

1990 (Table 1). The South African production has

increased and by 1993–94 there were reported to

be about 5400 hectares.

0005China appears to possess the most extensive reposi-

tory of apricot and related germplasm in the world.

There are eight species in the Armeniaca genus lo-

cated in China, four of which include the common

apricot (Armeniaca vulgaris Lam. or Prunus arme-

niaca L.), the Sibirian apricot (P. sibirica L.), the

Manchurian apricot (P. mandshurica Koehne.), and

the Tibet apricot (P. armeniaca var. holoserice Batal.).

P. mume (mume), a related species, also originated in

China. The diversity of apricot germplasm in China,

if utilized effectively in genetic improvement research,

could substantially broaden the existing commerce of

apricots in North America and the world. Japan is a

minor producer of apricot and produces more Prunus

mume. Historically, the apricot and mume were util-

ized for medicinal purposes, but now the fruit is

APRICOTS 295

consumed in processed forms such as syrups, jams,

pickles, and liquor. In 1986, mume production

approximated 89 100 t and apricot about 1460 t.

0006 Argentina and Chile are the two leading producers

of apricots in the southern hemisphere, with produc-

tion of 15 500 and 15 650 t, respectively, in 1990.

0007 In North America, the USA is the leading producer

of apricots, but they are produced to a limited extent

in Canada and Mexico. Canadian apricot production

is located primarily in the western part with some

small production near the Great Lakes. In Mexico,

apricots are grown in the high desert east of the Sierra

Madre mountain range. In the USA, California is the

leading apricot-producing state, followed by Wash-

ington and Utah with a smattering of production in

Michigan, Colorado, Texas, New Jersey, Idaho, New

York, and the Carolinas.

0008In California, there are approximately 19 000–

23 000 acres (7689–9308 ha) planted. Nonbearing

acreage accounts for approximately 500–1000 acres

(202–405 ha) of that total. Stanislaus county is the

leading apricot-producing region in California, with

tbl0001 Table 1 Apricot production and utilization 1989–98 in major producing/trading countries

Country and year Total production (t) Commercialproduction (t) Domestic freshconsumption (t) Processed (t)

France

1989 130 000 114 000 101 200 15 000

1990 107 500 94 300 77 400 15 000

1998 160 000

Greece

1989 83 875 83 875 15 603 39 621

1990 113 360 113 360 10 273 41 880

1998 38 000

Italy

1989 189 000 181 000 166 725 30 000

1990 181 500 175 000 161 490 30 000

Spain

1989 155 600 149 900 90 000 45 000

1990 115 200 110 600 63 800 40 000

1998 152 000

Turkey

1989 445 000 445 000 152 785 289 250

1990 400 000 400 000 137 000 260 000

1998 538 000

Yugoslavia

1989 46 000 37 000 20 879 23 000

1990 40 000 32 000 18 000 20 000

1998 8000

USA

1989 120 000 113 000 18 000 95 000

1990 112 000 105 000 18 000 87 000

1998 91 000

Argentina

1998 16 550 16 550 7499 9000

1990 15 500 15 500 6950 8500

1998 19 000

Australia

1989 27 000 27 000 3300 23 700

1990 27 300 27 300 3500 23 800

1998 27 000

Chile

1989 14 000 13 500 6200 6300

1990 14 650 14 150 6500 6550

1998 33 000

New Zealand

1989 9000 6800 6500 2282

1990 7800 6000 4700 2500

1998 8000

South Africa

1989 43 040 43 040 4652 37 709

1990 46 383 46 383 4650 40 650

1998 65 000

296 APRICOTS

over 7000 acres (2833 ha). Other important apricot-

producing counties in California include Contra

Costa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San

Benito, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Tulare, and Yolo-

Solano.

Varieties

0009 The most popular apricot varieties in California are

described below, and some of their bearing acreages

in 1990 are listed in Table 2. The Patterson apricot is

being planted more widely and is a multiuse apricot,

utilized primarily for canning (processing), but also

frozen, dried, and eaten fresh.

Castlebrite

0010 Released as a very-early-ripening, fresh-shipping var-

iety, the fruit is yellow-orange and attractive, with a

red blush. It is firm, medium in size, but does not

possess finest eating quality. The cultivar suffers

from inconsistent production, probably because the

chilling requirements are not satisfied.

Derby

0011 Derby or Derby Royal is principally grown in Yolo

County, California. It originated from a chance seed-

ling and was first planted in 1895. Derby is suitable

for fresh shipping, but not for drying because the

stone can cling to the flesh. The fruit may ripen un-

evenly. At least two distinct strains of the Derby have

been recognized around Winters, California area with

differing fruit characteristics.

Earlicot and Poppy Cot

0070 Earlicot and Poppy Cot are varieties introduced by

Zaiger Genetics of Modesto, California. They are

among the earliest ripening apricots grown in Califor-

nia. They are large, firm, and yellow-orange in color

with a red blush occasionally found on the skin. They

are slightly acidic with a fair flavor overall and are

suitable for commercial shipment.

Flaming Gold

0012Originated in Modesto, California, by Floyd Zaiger,

Flaming Gold was introduced in 1967 and was a

seedling of Perfection. The fruit ripens early and has

been used primarily for fresh shipping.

Goldbar and Goldstrike

0013Goldbar and Goldstrike originated from the breeding

program of Dr Tom Toyama at Washington State

University in Prosser, WA. Both fresh-market apricots

are large-sized, with early maturity (after Castlebrite

and before Patterson). They may require cross-

pollination and they appear to be cross-compatible.

They have smooth, orange skin often with a red blush

and orange flesh. The eating quality is good.

Helena

0014Formerly K210-35, Helena originated from the

breeding program of the United States Department

of Agriculture (USDA) in Fresno, CA. The fresh-

market apricot ripens near the time of Patterson. It

is relatively large, firm, and has yellow-orange skin

and flesh. It is of fair eating quality.

Katy

0015Large- to-medium-sized fruit developed by Floyd Zai-

ger, the Katy is yellow, firm, and an early-ripening

fruit used for fresh shipping.

Lorna

0016Formerly K505-50, Lorna originated from the breed-

ing program of the USDA in Fresno, CA. The fresh-

market apricot ripens early in the season ahead of

Patterson and is large, with orange skin and flesh. It

may often have skin with a blush of red. The eating

quality is good.

Modesto

0017Originated in Le Grand, California, by FW Anderson,

the variety was introduced in 1964 and was an F

open-pollinated seedling of Perfection. The fruit is

firm-fleshed, medium- to-large-sized, often with a red

blush, and orange-fleshed. The tree bears regularly,

and the fruit ripens about the time of Royal and

several days ahead of Patterson. Modesto is resistant

to pit burning.

Patterson

0018Originated in Le Grand, California, by FW Anderson,

the Patterson was introduced in 1968 and was an F

seedling of Perfection  unknown. The variety is

tbl0002 Table 2 California acreage of selected apricot varieties in 1990

Variety Acres (ha) Harvesttime

Blenheim/Royal 7303 (2955) 17 June

Castlebrite 986 (399) 7 May

Derby Royal 221 (89) 25 May

Flaming Gold 157 (64) 21 May

Improved Flaming Gold 118 (48) 21 May

Katy 319 (129) 15 May

Modesto 578 (234) 1 June

Patterson 3404 (1378) 12 June

Tilton 5922 (2397) 18 June

Westley 174 (70) 25 June

Other 584 (236)

APRICOTS 297

firm; it has orange flesh and skin, and is sometimes

found with a red blush. The fruit is medium to large,

and produces consistently good crops. It appears to

be less affected by mild winters than the Tilton var-

iety, and the fruit ripens evenly. Patterson is resistant

to pit burning. It is a good variety for processing

(canning, freezing), makes a good dried product,

and is fair for fresh-eating fruit. The Patterson is the

apricot production leader in California.

Robada

0019 Formerly, K106-2, Robada originated from the

breeding program of the USDA in Fresno, CA. The

fresh-market apricot is early-maturing, ripening ahead

of Patterson, and has a very nice orange skin, often

with a red blush. This fairly large fruit has orange

flesh, which is firm and has good eating quality.

Royal and Blenheim

0020 The Royal and Blenheim varieties are considered to-

gether because they have lost their separate identities.

The variety was utilized for fresh market and canning,

but currently is used for drying and juice. It tends to

bear alternately and unless properly thinned may

have small fruit. It has excellent flavor when fully

matured. It is rather soft and difficult to ship. The

flesh is orange, and the skin is yellow-orange; it often

has a red blush. The fruit tends to pit burn and is not

well adapted for the interior valleys of California. It

can develop a condition known as fog spot in the

coastal regions of California.

Tilton

0021 The variety originated as a seedling in Kings County,

California by JE Tilton in 1885. Tilton was once a

leading apricot for processing in California but it has

currently been replaced by Patterson. Tilton was used

for canning, drying, and shipping, but the fresh flavor

is only fair. Tilton is now mostly used for concentrate.

The tree tends to bear alternately and is affected by

mild winter temperatures. When properly thinned it

may bear medium- to large-sized fruit. The fruit is

orange to yellowish, ripening late in the season.

Tomcot

0022 The Tomcot originated from the breeding program

of Dr Tom Toyama at Washington State University

in Prosser, WA. The fresh-market apricot is early-

maturing (ahead of Goldbar and Goldstrike, but

after Castlebrite). It is not large but adequate and

firm. It has very highly colored orange skin and

flesh, and the skin often has a red blush. It normally

requires hand thinning to insure adequate fruit size

and it has good eating quality.

Tri Gems

0023Developed by Zaiger Genetics, Tri Gems is a firm,

medium-sized apricot that yields high-quality canned

fruit. It ripens before Patterson and has a yellow-

orange skin and flesh. If fruit are removed by hand

thinning it can be sold fresh and dried.

Westley

0024Originated in Le Grand, California, by FW Anderson,

the variety was introduced in 1973 and was an F

,of

Perfection  Tilton. The fruit is medium-firm, with

good flavor, and is used for some fresh markets and

drying. The tree tends to bear alternately.

Rootstocks

0025Apricots are grown commercially on apricot seedling,

peach (P. persica), and plum (P. cerasifera, myrobalan

seedling and 29C; P. cerasifera P. munsoniana, mar-

ianna 2624) roots. The main plum rootstocks include

myrobalan seedling, myrobalan 29C and marianna

2624. Plum rootstocks are characteristically resistant

to wet and poorly drained soil conditions. The union

between apricot and plum root reportedly is not as

sound as apricot on peach or apricot root and occa-

sionally some apricot varieties break off at the union

during heavy wind storms. Apricots growing on

plum roots may not be as productive as those grown

on apricot or peach roots. Peach root for apricot is

quite popular. The stocks include those propagated

from Lovell, Nemaguard, and Nemared seedling.

Apricots grown on peach are productive, but peach

cannot tolerate wet and poorly drained soil condi-

tions as well as plum. Peach roots are very susceptible

to Phytophthora root and crown rots. Apricots

grown on apricot seedling roots are not as common

as those on peach roots. Apricot roots are not as

resistant to wet soil or Phytophthora as plum and

also do not have the resistance to nematodes as

does Nemaguard peach root. However, apricot roots

are thought occasionally to impart better fruit qual-

ity and productivity to apricots. (See Peaches and

Nectarines.)

0026A rootstock, developed by Floyd Zaiger and named

Citation, is a peach  plum hybrid. It has been shown

to increase fruit size and advance fruit maturity of

Royal/Blenheim but did not alter the production char-

acteristics of Patterson apricot when compared to

marianna 2624. The rootstock may impart some

tree size control to selected apricot varieties. How-

ever, apricots growing on Citation have shown

reduced levels of zinc and nitrogen which suggested

reduced uptake of those nutrients by the rootstock

and possibly reduced vigor.

298 APRICOTS

Morphology and Anatomy

Botany and Biology

0027 The apricot belongs to the Rosaceae family and most

cultivated apricots belong to the species Prunus arme-

niaca L. Closely related species include P. mume Sidb.

and Zucc., the Japanese apricot, P. dasycarpa Ehrh.,

the black apricot, P. brigantiaca Vill., the Briancon

apricot from the French Alps, P. ansu Komar, P. sibir-

ica L., and P. mandshurica (Maxim.). The apricot is

diploid (2n ¼ 16, ¼8). Flowers are borne singly or

doubly at a node on very short stems (peduncles).

Flowers have about 30 stamens with one pistil. The

solitary flowers are white or pinkish. Most commer-

cial cultivars in the USA are self-fertile, but Perfection

and Riland are examples of self-incompatible culti-

vars. Trees generally branch well and produce vigor-

ous upright growth, but not as upright as plum. Floral

initiation occurs in summer (late May or June) and

most of the flowers which set into fruit are produced

on spurs. Spurs are productive for several (3–5) years.

The highest-quality fruit is borne on younger spurs.

Apricots are the first deciduous fruit trees to produce

flowers in the spring after almond, and because of

that are subject to frost damage. Trees bloom over a

period of approximately 1–2 weeks, depending upon

weather conditions. Flowers are followed by the ap-

pearance of leaves, which are simple, alternate, and

serrated, round-ovate to ovate, and sharp-pointed.

Apricot cultivars currently available require approxi-

mately 450–1200 h of chilling (temperatures at or

below 7.2



C). Vegetative buds require less chilling

than reproductive (flower) buds. In those years with

insufficient winter (December and January) chilling,

flower bud drop can occur leading to reduced crop-

ping, flowering and leaf emergence may occur over an

extended period, fruits may develop with few leaves,

and small fruits may not persist until harvest. Apri-

cots produce more flowers than are needed to insure

the production of an adequate crop and often require

the removal of small fruit (thinning) to insure ad-

equate fruit size. The apricot is a stone fruit (drupe).

Other stone fruits in the genus Prunus include

almond, cherry, nectarine, peach, and plum. Other

drupe fruit include olive, coconut, mango, etc. Botan-

ically a drupe fruit is a fleshy, one-seeded fruit that

does not split open of itself, with the seed enclosed in

a stony endocarp, which is called a pit. The fruit of

apricot consists of a stony endocarp, a fleshy meso-

carp, and an outer exocarp (skin). (See individual

fruits.)

0028 Approximately 80% of all California apricots are

processed (Table 3). California represents nearly

100% of commercially processed fruit in the USA.

Basic grower production is sold for processing to five

different sources: canners, nectar (juice) processors,

driers, freezers, and baby food processors. For the

purpose of describing these processing methods,

only canning, drying, and freezing will be included

since nectar and baby food processing are basically

similar to the process for producing apricot concen-

trate of pure

e by canners.

Processing Apricots in Europe

0029Canned apricots comprise the major processed prod-

uct for apricots in Europe, followed by fruit pure

and dried fruit last. Fruit for canning must be round,

and uniform in shape, size, and maturity. Fruits are

pitted by slicing along the suture line of the fruit with

rotating knives; stones sticking to flesh are problem-

atic. Often apricots are peeled (the skin is removed)

before canning, and this appears to reduce fruit

softening. Dipping in hot (boiling) lye (at least 4%

concentration) is used for peeling and within 1 min

most apricot cultivars are well-peeled. Fruits are

packed in cans, glass jars, and plastic bags. Polyvinyl

chloride (PVC) bags are covered by thin metallic

sheets in order to reduce permeability to oxygen and

sterilized with g-irradiation. Various techniques have

been developed to maintain the color, firmness,

texture, and flavor of processed apricots.

0030Apricot fruit used for pure

e can be harvested with a

higher degree of maturity to insure higher organolep-

tic quality. Stabilization of color and viscosity are

essential to maintaining quality of product. Fruit

pure

e is mainly used in baby food, fruit nectars, and

jams.

Canned Apricots in California

0031The majority of apricots for canning are grown in

Stanislaus and San Joaquin county. One major canner

is located in this area and another operates in the

Santa Clara Valley. Most canning apricots consist of

tbl0003Table 3 Volume shares of apricots produced in California, USA

in 1998

Producttype Metric tonnage (t) Percentage of total

Canned

36 340 40

Dried 8036 9

Fresh 16 518 18

Frozen 9286 10

Concentrate 21 161 23

Total 91 341

Source: Apricot Producers of California, Modesto, CA. Statistics vary

from season to season.

APRICOTS 299

the Patterson and Tilton varieties, with the Patterson

predominating.

0032 Canners’ prices to the growers are negotiated be-

tween the canners and the growers’ bargaining asso-

ciation. Current prices are based upon a price per

(UK) ton for ‘US no. 1s’ with a downward sliding

scale of five grades below this level. Grading is carried

out by a third-party inspection program approved by

both parties.

0033 Fruit is picked either by hand or, to a lesser extent,

mechanically, and dumped into 272-kg bins. These

bins are delivered to a weighing station where they

are inspected for grade and weighed. The apricots are

then delivered to the canning plant, where they are

mechanically dumped into a water bath containing

chlorinated water. They travel down an inspection

belt for removal of any materials other than apricots

(leaves, sticks, stones) or immature, green, overripe or

rotted fruit. The apricots are then graded for size; the

small fruits, unsuitable for canning, are collected and

directed towards eventual use in concentrate and/or

nectar-type product items.

0034 The fruit is delivered to mechanical apricot cutters;

these machines align the fruit in such a way that the

cutting will take place on the apricot suture. Cut fruit

is then opened and the loose pits drop through a

stainless-steel plate. Cut, pitted fruit is delivered to

the sizer/grader to be mechanically sorted, resulting in

uniformly sized fruit. Once the cans have been filled,

a topping medium such as sugar water or fruit juice is

added, then immediately sealed. The product is then

ready to be cooked, rendering it commercially sterile.

Later, when the product reaches the warehouse it will

be labeled and cased as per the customer’s request.

Canned apricots are packed in heavy syrup, light

syrup, juice pack (apricot or pear), and water pack.

0035 Back in the processing plant, fruit that is unsuitable

for cutting is delivered to a thermal screw, where it is

heated to 98.9



C and delivered to a pulping unit,

which will remove the pit. The heated pulp is pumped

through a series of finishers that will remove some of

the fibrous material, such as the skin of the apricot.

Finished juice is then ready for the evaporation pro-

cess or delivered to the nectar room where it is mixed

with sugar, water, and citric acid. The nectar is filled

and sealed, similar to the cut-fruit canning process,

and delivered to the warehouse. Fruit juice destined

for the evaporator will be condensed, resulting in 32



Brix (32%) fruit concentrate. The product is canned

in 3.25-l cans or aseptically filled in 250-l drums. The

concentrated product is ideally suited for nectar re-

constitution or as an ingredient in various sauces.

0036 There are a very few marketers of apricot nectar

that purchase off-grade apricots directly from the

grower and process their own concentrate or pure

according to their own particular specifications. The

concentrates are then diluted to an acceptable level as

a drinkable apricot juice called nectar.

Dried Apricots

0037Dried apricots are produced from the plump, ripe,

fresh fruit. The fruit is picked and sun-dried in June

through early August in California. The Blenheim

and Patterson apricots are the principal varieties

used for drying. Other varieties are dried but most

do not have the unique combination of high flavor

density and solids-to-acid ratio that create the

luscious, sweet-tart flavor of the California dried

apricot.

Sun-Drying of Fruits

0038The drying of apricots parallels methods used for

processing other dried fruits (figs, peaches, pears,

etc.). Stage of maturity of the fruit is important in

selecting fruits for drying. If the fruit is picked too

early, color and flavor are lacking in the final product.

When overripe, the final product loses shape and

becomes slab-like in appearance. Much of the fine

flavor of California dried apricots results from the

fact that the dried fruit can be produced from fully

tree-ripened fruit.

0039Preparation of the fresh fruit for sun-drying is

simple. The common predrying treatments applied

to apricots are as follows: (1) selection and sorting

of fresh fruit; (2) washing; (3) cutting into halves and

removal of pits; (4) spreading of fruit on drying trays

with the cut surface upward; (5) sulfuring with burn-

ing sulfur or gaseous sulfur dioxide; (6) placing of

trays in full sun in the dry yard. (See Drying: Drying

Using Natural Radiation.)

0040Sulfuring For many years sulfur dioxide (SO

) has

been used to preserve the color of dried fruits. It is the

only chemical added to dried apricots. Sulfur dioxide

is recognized as safe for use in dried fruits by the US

Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Apricots pre-

pared for drying are usually exposed to gaseous SO

before being put in the sun for drying, but treatment

with fumes of burning elemental sulfur is also

practiced.

0041In addition to preventing enzymatic browning, SO

treatment reduces the destruction of carotene and

ascorbic acid which are valuable natural nutrients in

apricots; thus, nutritional qualities are preserved.

0042Sulfured, dried apricots will contain a SO

level of

about 2500 p.p.m. The amount of SO

must also be

controlled because regulations on levels of SO

per-

mitted vary from one country to the next. Sulfur

dioxide in the fruit begins to dissipate as soon as

300 APRICOTS

applied and continues to diminish throughout stor-

age, distribution, and retail shelf-life of the product.

0043 Sun-drying After sulfuring, the trays are placed in

the drying yard for sun-drying. Sun-drying is com-

plete when the apricots have a moisture content of

15–20%. Drying time can vary depending on the

condition of the fruit, air moisture, and constancy of

sun exposure. During drying the cut and sulfured fruit

is left in full sun for 5–10 days, followed by further

drying away from direct sunlight for a sufficient time

to bring moisture to the desired level.

0044 After drying, the apricots are transferred to boxes

for curing and for bringing about equilibrium of

moisture content. This requires from 2 to 3 weeks or

even longer. The dried apricots are then ready for

grading and final preparation for packing.

Screening, Inspection, and Washing

0045 Size grading is required to obtain the desired piece

size in the end product. Size grading is accomplished

by passing the dried product over a shaking perfor-

ated metal screen and collecting the fractions separ-

ately. Each size fraction passes on to the final

inspection operation.

0046 Prior to packing, chopping, or grinding, the apri-

cots are rigorously washed to remove dust, leaf par-

ticles, etc. Washing consists of a presoak in water,

followed by mechanical scrubbing and rinsing. After

washing, the fruit is spread on trays for a second

treatment with SO

in the finished product to meet

shelf-life requirements, or requirements specified by

the customer of bulk packs.

Storage

0047 Dried apricots are protected from product decompos-

ition caused by microbial or enzymatic deterioration.

The relatively low moisture level, high natural sugar

level, high acid content, SO

level, and low pH pre-

clude these types of spoilage. (See Storage Stability:

Mechanisms of Degradation; Parameters Affecting

Storage Stability.)

0048 The loss of SO

cannot be eliminated entirely, but it

can be controlled so that it is of little consequence in

normal commercial storage. The single most import-

ant factor in determining the storage life in dried fruit

is temperature of the storage space. Temperature is so

critical that the storage life is cut approximately in

half: for every 11



C increase it is about 4.4



0049 The following conditions and tips will help to

obtain maximum storage life for dried fruits:

0050 Store dried fruit at 4.4



C and 75% relative hu-

midity for excellent keeping for at least 6–9

months (for washed and resulfured apricots).

0051Keep temperatures and humidity constant.

0052Be sure that the product is well wrapped and not

exposed to air.

0053Protect dried fruit from strong direct light.

Frozen Apricots

0054Apricots for freezing include the Patterson and Blen-

heim varieties, with Patterson predominating.

0055Frozen apricots are processed for three different

product types: sliced halves, slices, and a multiple

scored apricot that is not completely sliced. The

former two types are sold primarily to bakers, ice-

cream makers, and frozen-dessert makers. The latter

type are processed for use in jams and jellies and are

called ‘machine-pitted.’

Receiving

0056Apricots are received in approximately 363-kg bins.

There are normally 48 bins per truckload. Each truck-

load is weighed and assigned a lot number. Bins from

each lot are visually sampled for quality. The apricots

are checked for ripeness, insect penetration, rot, flesh

damage, and excess foreign materials such as leaves.

Fruits are placed in high-temperature cold storage or

left in receiving for ripening. As needed, bins of fruit

are brought to the processing plant by truck.

Leaf Roller

0057The apricots are dumped on to a conveyor and pass

over a series of parallel rollers. The rollers are separ-

ated by small gaps through which leaves and twigs

may fall. A worker is stationed there to remove leaves,

foreign material, rot, and green fruit. The green fruit

are held for rerunning when properly ripened.

0058From the leaf roller the apricots fall into the shaker-

washer which agitates the apricots in water and

propels them under fresh-water sprays.

0059The shaker-washer discharges the apricots on to

the first inspection belt. The fruit is examined for

rot, leaves, and green color. From the first inspection

belt, the fruit drops on to a cleated elevator which

carries the fruit to a cross-belt. The cross-belt delivers

the apricots to one of two apricot halvers. A shaker-

feeder receives the apricots. Rotating scrubbers clean

the apricots and single-file them into five lanes. The

apricots from the five lanes are fed into pick-up

pockets. The pick-up pockets feed the apricots to V

trough belts in time with orienting fingers. The

orienting fingers cause the apricots to rotate so that

the suture is aligned with blades which cut the apricot

in half in line with the suture.

0060A pit remover at the end of the blade is used to

separate the pit from the two halves as they pass

APRICOTS 301

through. Approximately 85% of the pits are removed

at this point.

0061 A cross-belt carries the apricot halves to a con-

veyor, which transports them to a cup-up pit shaker.

As the apricot halves move across the shaker pan they

pass over holes which permit the remaining pits to fall

through as they are shaken loose. As the apricot

halves are discharged from the cup-up pit shaker

they are aligned with the pit cavity, facing up.

0062 The cup-up pit shaker distributes the apricot halves

on to the pit inspection belt. On the belt the apricots

are inspected for pits and soft fruits. Soft fruits are

placed into sort-out buckets and used to make pure

From the pit inspection belt the apricots are trans-

ported to a gang blade slicer. The slicer has parallel

circular blocks separated by a 1.27-cm gap. The slicer

cuts the halves into strips.

0063 The sliced apricots fall on to a final inspection belt.

The apricots are inspected for pits, blemishes, and

harmless extraneous material. Fruit from the final

inspection belt is carried to a fill-weight station.

The fruit is placed in prelabeled tins and weighed.

A depressor is placed on top of the fruit and 60



Brix syrup with ascorbic acid is added. The con-

tainer is weighed again. A lid is placed on the can

and it is passed through a can washer. The cans are

coded, loaded on pallets, and tagged. The completed

pallets are promptly moved to cold storage for

freezing.

Apricot Usage

006 4 At the height of California apricot production in the

1930s and 1940s, the major usage was dried apricots.

This was primarily because of the dried product’s

ability to remain shelf-stable for a relatively long

period of time, its versatility as an out-of-hand

snack, cooking and baking ingredient, and its sweet-

sour flavor.

0065After World War II, the canning industry began its

dynamic growth. Dried apricots gave way to the

canned version because of a growing acceptance of

canned fruits and vegetables as convenient and eco-

nomical products, as well as the apricots’ greater

similarity to the fresh fruit. The dried apricot con-

tinued to be the largest usage type through the late

1940s but lost its position to canned apricot products

(which included baby food, pure

e, and nectar) in

1950 and never regained its plurality. Recently, sales

of dried apricots have been declining due to foreign

competition.

0066Frozen apricots were introduced to the American

public in 1943, diverting about 4046 t out of a total

processed crop of 79248 t, the smallest crop recorded

up to that time. Apricots going into frozen production

peaked in 1945 at 26 822 t out of a total of 161 544 t

and have never regained that level. Today frozen

apricots account for less than 10% of the pack.

0067Apricots sold fresh in retail and food-service outlets

have been slow in developing into major usage. Their

high point in sales was reached in the disastrous 1943

crop year, with 21% of total production. Most years

since 1909 have held at around 10% of the total crop.

Since 1984, however, with substantially more

marketing effort behind them, fresh apricots have

been maintaining a 14–20% share of saleable

tonnage.

0068In 1998, the California Apricot Producers reported

91341 t by use-type, distributed as shown in Table 3.

Nutrition

0069Weight for weight, apricots provide more than three

times the carotene of peaches, and three times the

tbl0004 Table 4 Nutritional composition (per 100 g fruit) of apricots

Canned

Fresh Heavysyrup Light syrup Juice pack Nectar Dried

Energy (J) 200 350 265 200 235 1000

Protein (g) 1 1 1 1 0 4

Carbohydrate (g) 11 21 16 12 14 62

Fat (g) 0 0 0 0 0 0

Sodium (mg) 1 4 4 4 4 10

Potassium (mg) 295 140 138 165 114 1378

Fiber (g) 2 0 0 1 1 8

Calcium, Ca (mg) 14

Iron, Fe (mg) 0.54

Magnesium, Mg (mg) 8.0

Vitamin C (mg) 10.0

Vitamin A (IU) 2612

FromtheCaliforniaApricotAdvisoryBoard(defunct)andApricotProducersofCalifornia,Modesto,CAandTheFruitPages,http://

www.thefruitpages.com/chartapricots.shtml.

302 APRICOTS

vitamin C of pears (based on a 1 cup serving of

canned fruit, in juice pack with skin). They are also

higher in potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and iron

than most other fruits (Table 4). Apricots, especially

dried apricots, are an excellent source of dietary fiber.

They are low in sodium, calories, and fat, and have no

cholesterol. (See individual nutrients.)

See also: Canning: Principles; Food Handling; Quality

Changes During Canning; Carotenoids: Occurrence,

Properties, and Determination; Controlled-atmosphere

Storage: Effects on Fruit and Vegetables; Dietary Fiber:

Properties and Sources; Drying: Drying Using Natural

Radiation; Freezing: Nutritional Value of Frozen Foods;

Fruits of Temperate Climates: Commercial and Dietary

Importance; Factors Affecting Quality; Iron: Properties

and Determination; Jams and Preserves: Methods of

Manufacture; Phosphorus: Properties and

Determination; Potassium: Properties and

Determination; Storage Stability: Mechanisms of

Degradation; Parameters Affecting Storage Stability