Apricot

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the trees and their fruit. For other uses, see Apricot (disambiguation).

Apricot
Apricot and its cross-section
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Prunus
Subgenus: Prunus subg. Prunus
Section: Prunus sect. Armeniaca
(
Scop.) Koch
Type species
L.

Species

See text.

An apricot (US: /ˈæprɪkɒt/ ⓘ, UK: /ˈeɪprɪkɒt/ ⓘ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus Prunus.

Usually an apricot is from the species P. armeniaca, but the fruits of the other species in Prunus sect. Armeniaca are also called apricots.[1]

Etymology

Map of the etymology of "apricot" from Latin via Late and Byzantine Greek to Arabic, Spanish and Catalan, Middle French, and so to English

Apricot first appeared in English in the 16th century as abrecock from the Middle French aubercot or later abricot,[2] from Spanish albaricoque and Catalan a(l)bercoc, in turn from Arabic الْبَرْقُوق‎ (al-barqūq, "the plums"), from Byzantine Greek βερικοκκίᾱ (berikokkíā, "apricot tree"), derived from late Greek πραικόκιον (praikókion, "apricot") from Latin [persica ("peach")] praecocia (praecoquus, "early ripening").[3][4][5]

Description

The apricot is a small tree, 8–12 metres (26–39 feet) tall, with a trunk up to 40 centimetres (16 inches) in diameter and a dense, spreading canopy. The

ovate, 5–9 cm (2–3+1⁄2 in) long, and 4–8 cm (1+1⁄2–3 in) wide, with a rounded base, a pointed tip, and a finely serrated margin. The flowers are 2–4.5 cm (3⁄4–1+3⁄4 in) in diameter, with five white to pinkish petals; they are produced singly or in pairs in early spring before the leaves. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) similar to a small peach, 1.5–2.5 cm (1⁄2–1 in) diameter (larger in some modern cultivars), from yellow to orange, often tinged red on the side most exposed to the sun; its surface can be smooth (botanically described as: glabrous) or velvety with very short hairs (botanically: pubescent). The flesh is usually succulent, but dry in some species such as P. sibirica. Its taste can range from sweet to tart. The single seed or "kernel" is enclosed in a hard shell, often called a "stone", with a grainy, smooth texture except for three ridges running down one side.[6][7]

Phytochemistry

Apricots contain various

organic acids, terpenes, aldehydes and lactones.[9]

Apricot leaves

Species

Apricots are species belonging to Prunus sect. Armeniaca. The taxonomic position of P. brigantina is disputed. It is grouped with plum species according to chloroplast DNA sequences,[10] but more closely related to apricot species according to nuclear DNA sequences.[11]

Cultivation

Preparing apricots in the grounds of Alchi Monastery, Ladakh, India
David Packard's apricot orchard in Los Altos Hills, preserved by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, is one of the few remaining in Santa Clara County, where apricots were a major crop before the urban sprawl of Silicon Valley.

Origin and domestication

Prunus armeniaca

Main article: Prunus armeniaca § Origin, domestication and diffusion

The most commonly cultivated apricot P. armeniaca was known in Armenia during ancient times, and has been cultivated there for so long that it was previously thought to have originated there, hence the epithet of its scientific name.[14] However, this is not supported by genetic studies, which instead confirm the hypothesis proposed by Nikolai Vavilov that domestication of P. armeniaca occurred in Central Asia and China.[15][16] The domesticated apricot then diffused south to South Asia,[15] west to West Asia (including Armenia), Europe and North Africa, and east to Japan.[16]

Prunus mume

Main article: Prunus mume § Origin

Japanese apricot P. mume is another widely cultivated apricot species, usually for ornamental uses. Despite the common name, it originated from China, and was introduced to Japan in ancient times.

Cultivation practices

Drying apricot fruits (Fergana, Uzbekistan)

Apricots have a chilling requirement of 300 to 900

chilling units. A dry climate is good for fruit maturation. The tree is slightly more cold-hardy than the peach, tolerating winter temperatures as cold as −30 °C (−22 °F) or lower if healthy. They are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8. A limiting factor in apricot culture is spring frosts: They tend to flower very early (in early March in western Europe), meaning spring frost can kill the flowers. Furthermore, the trees are sensitive to temperature changes during the winter season. In China, winters can be very cold, but temperatures tend to be more stable than in Europe and especially North America, where large temperature swings can occur in winter. Hybridization with the closely related Prunus sibirica (Siberian apricot; hardy to −50 °C (−58 °F) but with less palatable fruit) offers options for breeding more cold-tolerant plants.[17] They prefer well-drained soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.[18]

Apricot cultivars are usually grafted onto plum or peach rootstocks. The cultivar scion provides the fruit characteristics, such as flavor and size, but the rootstock provides the growth characteristics of the plant. Some of the more popular US apricot cultivars are 'Blenheim', 'Wenatchee Moorpark', 'Tilton', and 'Perfection'. Some apricot cultivars are self-compatible, so do not require pollinizer trees; others are not: 'Moongold' and 'Sungold', for example, must be planted in pairs so they can pollinate each other.[19]

Hybridisors have created what is known as a "black apricot" or "purple apricot", (

Prunus dasycarpa), a hybrid of an apricot and the cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera). Other apricot–plum hybrids are variously called plumcots, apriplums, pluots, or apriums.[20]

Pests and diseases

Apricot production – 2020
Country 2020
(millions of tonnes)
 Turkey 0.83
 Uzbekistan 0.53
 Iran 0.33
 Algeria 0.19
 Italy 0.17
World 3.72
Source:
FAOSTAT, United Nations[21]

Apricots are susceptible to various diseases whose relative importance differs in the major production regions as a consequence of their climatic differences. For example, hot weather as experienced in California's Central Valley often causes pit burn, a condition of soft and brown fruit around the pit.[22] Bacterial diseases include bacterial spot and crown gall. Fungal diseases include brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola: infection of the blossom by rainfall leads to "blossom wilt"[23] whereby the blossoms and young shoots turn brown and die; the twigs die back in a severe attack; brown rot of the fruit is due to Monilinia infection later in the season. Dieback of branches in the summer is attributed to the fungus Eutypa lata, where examination of the base of the dead branch reveals a canker surrounding a pruning wound.[24] Other fungal diseases are black knot, Alternaria spot and fruit rot, and powdery mildew.[25] Unlike peaches, apricots are not affected by leaf curl, and bacterial canker (causing sunken patches in the bark, which then spread and kill the affected branch or tree) and silver leaf are not serious threats, which means that pruning in late winter is considered safe.[23]

Kernel

Main article: Apricot kernel

Due to their natural

microbeads.[27]

Production

See also: List of countries by apricot production
Main article: List of apricot diseases

In 2020, world production of apricots was 3.72 million tonnes, led by Turkey with 22% of the total. Other major producers (in descending order) were Uzbekistan, Iran, Italy, and Algeria.[21] Malatya is the center of Turkey's apricot industry.[28]

Toxicity

Apricot kernels (seeds) contain amygdalin, a poisonous compound. On average, bitter apricot kernels contain about 5% amygdalin and sweet kernels about 0.9% amygdalin. These values correspond to 0.3% and 0.05% of cyanide. Since a typical apricot kernel weighs 600 mg, bitter and sweet varieties contain, respectively, 1.8 and 0.3 mg of cyanide.[29]

Uses

Apricot kernels can be made into a plant milk.[30]

Nutrition

Apricots, dried
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy1,009 kJ (241 kcal)
63 g
Sugars53 g
Dietary fiber7 g
0.5 g
3.4 g
Niacin (B3)
16%
2.589 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
10%
0.516 mg
Vitamin B6
8%
0.143 mg
Folate (B9)
3%
10 μg
Vitamin C
1%
1 mg
Vitamin E
29%
4.33 mg
Vitamin K
3%
3.1 μg
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Calcium
4%
55 mg
Iron
15%
2.66 mg
Magnesium
8%
32 mg
Manganese
10%
0.235 mg
Phosphorus
6%
71 mg
Potassium
39%
1162 mg
Sodium
0%
10 mg
Zinc
3%
0.29 mg
Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[31] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[32]
Apricots, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy201 kJ (48 kcal)
11 g
Sugars9 g
Dietary fiber2 g
0.4 g
1.4 g
Niacin (B3)
4%
0.6 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
5%
0.24 mg
Vitamin B6
3%
0.054 mg
Folate (B9)
2%
9 μg
Vitamin C
11%
10 mg
Vitamin E
6%
0.89 mg
Vitamin K
3%
3.3 μg
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Calcium
1%
13 mg
Iron
2%
0.4 mg
Magnesium
2%
10 mg
Manganese
3%
0.077 mg
Phosphorus
2%
23 mg
Potassium
9%
259 mg
Sodium
0%
1 mg
Zinc
2%
0.2 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water86 g
Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[31] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[32]

In a 100-gram amount, raw apricots supply 48

Daily Value
each).

Dried apricots

Main article: Dried apricot

Dried apricots are a type of

orange. Organic fruit not treated with sulfur dioxide is darker in color and has a coarser texture. When apricots are dried, the relative concentration of nutrients is increased, with vitamin A, vitamin E, potassium, and iron having Daily Values above 25% (table).[citation needed
]

In culture

The apricot is the

Ararat plain.[34][35] It is often depicted on souvenirs.[36]

The Chinese associate the apricot with education and medicine. For instance, the classical word

Three Kingdoms period, who required no payment from his patients except that they plant apricot trees in his orchard upon recovering from their illnesses, resulting in a large grove of apricot trees and a steady supply of medicinal ingredients.[38] The term "expert of the apricot grove" (杏林高手) is still used as a poetic reference to physicians.[citation needed
]

The fact that apricot season is short and unreliable in Egypt has given rise to the common Egyptian Arabic and Palestinian Arabic expression filmishmish ("in apricot [season]") or bukra filmishmish ("tomorrow in apricot [season]"), generally uttered as a riposte to an unlikely prediction, or as a rash promise to fulfill a request.[39] This adynaton has the same sense as the English expression "when pigs fly".[40]

In

Damascus, Syria, where the variety of apricots most suitable for the drink was first grown.[41][42]

In Jewish culture, apricots are commonly eaten as part of the Tu Bishvat seder.[43]

The Turkish idiom bundan iyisi Şam'da kayısı (literally, "the only thing better than this is an apricot in Damascus") means "it doesn't get any better than this".[citation needed]

In the

U.S. Marines it is considered exceptionally bad luck to eat or possess apricots,[44] especially near tanks.[45] This superstition has been documented since at least the Vietnam War and is often cited as originating in World War II. Even calling them by their name is considered unlucky,[46] so they are instead called "cots",[47] "Forbidden fruit" or "A-fruit".[48]

US astronauts ate dried apricot on the Apollo 15 and Apollo 17 missions to the moon.[49]

Gallery

  • Dried date, peach, apricot, and stones. From Lahun, Fayum, Egypt. Late Middle Kingdom. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London
    Dried date, peach, apricot, and stones. From Lahun, Fayum, Egypt.
    The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
    , London
  • Blooms of an apricot
    Blooms of an apricot
  • Apricot kernel (endocarp and seed)
    Apricot kernel (endocarp and seed)
  • Dried apricot, with dark color due to absence of sulfur dioxide treatment
    Dried apricot, with dark color due to absence of sulfur dioxide treatment
  • Prunus sibirica (Siberian apricot; hardy to −50 °C (−58 °F) but with less palatable fruit)
    Prunus sibirica (Siberian apricot; hardy to −50 °C (−58 °F) but with less palatable fruit)
  • Apricot tree, Turkey
    Apricot tree, Turkey
  • Apricots drying on the ground in Cappadocia
    Apricots drying on the ground in Cappadocia
  • Syrian apricot paste
    Syrian apricot paste
  • Packaging apricot fruits in Uzbekistan
    Packaging apricot fruits in Uzbekistan
  • Drying apricot fruits
    Drying apricot fruits
  • 'Kecskemét Rose' - a pale and juicy apricot variety
    'Kecskemét Rose' - a pale and juicy apricot variety

See also

References

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  2. ^ "abricot (French) Archived 2017-09-22 at the Wayback Machine". Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales.
  3. ^ "apricot". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
  4. ^ "apricot". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins.
  5. ^ Dean, Sam (9 May 2013). "On the Etymology of the Word Apricot". Bon Appetit. Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
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  30. ^ Cornall, Jim (10 March 2022). "The latest in dairy alternatives: Taiwan company debuts apricot kernel drink". dairyreporter.com. Dairy Reporter. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
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External links

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