General InformationÂ
Green apricots are unripe fruits, harvested before they begin to mature and develop their orange color. The light green colored fruits measure between 3 and 5 centimeters in diameter and have an elongated oval shape, with the characteristic indention running down its midline. The skin is covered with a velvety fuzz and the fruits are very firm. At the center of the pale green flesh is a soft central pit, the hard, outer endocarp having yet to fully develop. Green apricots have a bitter, acidic taste, with notes of almond.
History
Apricots are native to northwestern China, in the Tien Shan mountains, with secondary origins in the Caucasus mountain region. Cultivation of apricots dates back 3,000 in China. Over the centuries, the apricot spread eastward and westward with travelers along the Spice Route. Due to differentiation and cultivation in certain regions, apricots are placed into four different ecological and geographical groups: Central-Asian, Irano-Caucasian, European and Dzhungar- Zailij. Today, apricots are cultivated in Central Asia, in what is Pakistan, Armenia, and Turkey, India, central California and Florida in the United States, in southern Europe, South Africa and Australia. Green apricots are most likely spotted at farmer’s markets and in Middle Eastern markets in the United States. Outside of the United States they are most common in the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, Central Asia and India.
