A Chessboard of Apricots June 18, 2007

For those who get our Harvest Flyer crates we have an interesting contrast of fruit for you this week: black and white apricots. Last year these two fruits didn't come to us until early July. That means that this year we are about two weeks ahead of last year's maturation.

The Black Apricot: It's called an apricot but to my eye this piece of fruit looks more like a plum. It is unusual in that it has a fuzzy, apricot-like skin and a hefty, juice-laden weight to it. When you take a bite you'll pick up the apricot-gold inner flesh and the unique blend of plum and apricot flavors. It is earthy with hints of honey and ambrosial tastes. There is even a Muscat-like quality to the richness of the fruit that I truly enjoy. This fruit is sometimes called a Midnight Apricot. Last year I remember that a newspaper article described the Black Apricot as being four times sweeter than a strawberry -- I can't vouch for that as our strawberries are pretty sweet this year, but you should still treat yourself to what is bound to become a favorite summer fruit. You'll be dreaming about the Black Apricot all winter.

The White Apricot: You might remember this fruit (also called an Angelcot) from an article in The New Yorker magazine a few years back. The article identified a tenacious and zealous "fruit detective" who scoured the country, and even the world, for unique and interesting fruits. At the time of the article, he was fixated on finding the elusive White Apricot. We have been working with the grower of the White Apricot (whose name and location will remain a secret for his own protection) for the last few years. Last year he produced only enough fruit to supply us for about two weeks. This year he says his trees have had a bumper crop and he'll pick between 5 to 10 times the volume he did last year. That means that you might even see these unique apricots in places other than your FruitGuys Harvest Flyer crates. The White Apricot is a hybridized cross between a Moroccan and Iranian apricot. It has a very pale yellow skin color with a slightly speckled and nearly peach-like blush at the top. The fruit inside is so juicy and refreshing that it tastes like some impossible combination of warm-apricot sorbet. When ready to eat, it has the juiciness and smooth texture of a perfectly ripened peach but with a unique and indelible lightness.
Enjoy this delicacy.