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'Moon Of The Faith:' A History Of The Apricot And Its Many Pleasures

Most of us do not get to experience the glories of a succulent, ripe apricot. Instead, we make do with dried or canned fruit. We are deprived of this joy because modern shipping and marketing practices demand that the fruit be picked before it fully ripens on the tree. "I get docked for ripe fruit," grower George Bonacich tells fruit expert David Karp. As a result, shoppers are confronted with a pallid apricot. "Those harvested early to make them easier to transport are often a woolly, watery disappointment," English food writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall observes.

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 The Shangri-La of Health Food

The fictional Shangri-La appears to be an amalgam of Yunnan Province and Tibet. But the people of the Hunza Valley in Pakistan became, in the American mind, the closest thing to the real-life incarnations of the people of Shangri-La. The Hunzakut people reportedly lived to be 100 and had a practically illness-free existence in an inaccessible mountain valley. Paeans to healthy Hunza proliferated. President Eisenhower’s cardiologist reported that Hunza men could eat 3,000 apricots in one sitting. In 1960, the Journal of the American Medical Association published an editorial extolling the virtues of the Hunza diet as a harbinger of hope for human longevity and modern medicine.

Articles of Interest

A Review with Updated Perspectives on Nutritional and Therapeutic Benefits of Apricot and the Industrial Application of Its Underutilized Parts

Fruits maintain the image as the richest sources of vitamins. Focusing on apricots, utilization of apricot species for many applications is possible due to its various benefits. Many research studies demonstrated different perspectives of apricot, especially in medical used as it can act as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agents. Moreover, in the industrial sectors, apricots can be used in the production of biofuels and batteries.

Afternoon Snack: Apricot Canapes

My dears, do you like dried apricots? I'm obsessed. Here's a yummy snack idea (or impress your pals at a party and make it as an appetizer) that I recently came across ...

Apricot Kernel: Bioactivity, Characterization, Applications, and Health Attributes

Apricot kernel, a by-product of apricot fruit, is a rich source of proteins, vitamins, and carbohydrates. Moreover, it can be used for medicinal purposes and the formation of food ingredients. Several techniques have been adopted for the extraction of bioactive compounds from the apricot kernel such as solvent extraction, ultra-sonication, enzyme-assisted, microwave-assisted, and aqueous extraction. Apricot kernels may help to fight against various diseases such as cancer and cancer immunotherapy, as well as reduce blood pressure.

Apricot kernels could be 'hidden health hazard'

Europe’s food safety watchdog warns the latest ‘superfood’ contains a compound that is converted to cyanide in the body at harmful levels. Apricot kernels were thought to be safe in low doses, and are called for in many stone fruit jam recipes and biscuits as they add a hint of almond, giving a pleasantly marzipan-like flavour. They have also recently been hailed as a “superfood”, with claims made for their cancer-fighting properties and the large amounts of the vitamin B17 that they contain. This has given rise to a flourishing trade in raw apricot kernels on the internet.

Apricots to Savor, While You Can

Any fruit as orange as an apricot has to be high in phytonutrients. Of all the stone fruits, apricots have the most beta carotene — three to eight times as much as nectarines and peaches. They’re a very good source of vitamin C, and they’re high in potassium.

Can Apricot Seeds Relieve Cancer Symptoms?

Some cell studies suggest apricot seed properties may have anticancer effects. However, apricot seed products may have high levels of amygdalin, a toxic compound that can cause symptoms of cyanide poisoning.

Celebrating Apricot Season

You don’t want them so ripe that they bruise as soon as you put them into a bag – they should be slightly firm to the touch, as apricots ripen from the inside out – but if they were picked green they will have little flavor, and they’ll have that mealy texture that describes a bad apricot.

Have Some Apricots Tonight

Apricots have been used in folk medicine for generations mainly as a detoxifying agent and to help improve the respiratory system. They may help with asthma and cough. Much research points to apricots' crucial role in disease prevention and health maintenance.

Man Poisons Himself by Taking Apricot Kernels to Treat Cancer

Many believe these seeds can fight cancer, but there’s no scientific evidence to back up the claim.

These Apricot Benefits Will Sell You on the Summer Fruit

The next time you're craving a treat, reach for an apricot. The juicy fruit is naturally sweet, somewhat tart, and super tasty. But as it turns out, apricots can do so much more than please your taste buds. They offer a rich cocktail of good-for-you nutrients, from gut-regulating fiber to disease-staving antioxidants.

This Summer Stone Fruit Is Surprisingly Good For the Gut, Skin, and Brain

One of the great advantages of apricots? “They are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, so they are good for intestinal transit,” says Digón. “In addition, they serve as food for our microbiota.”