Food - Drink
What To Look For When Picking Apricots At The Grocery Store
By CARA O'BLENESS
While stone fruits are in their prime from early spring to late summer, you can find them in grocery stores year-round, though it may be harder to buy perfect specimens. When it comes to apricots, a ripe, juicy, and sweet fruit is ideal, and these are the signs to look out for when shopping in order to choose the best apricots.
Whether you're shopping at the farmer's market or grocery store, look for apricots that are firm, plump, and a deep orange or gold in color. Give them a light squeeze and take note if they give a little, which is good, or if they feel too soft, and as a final test, use your nose to look for a sweet, floral scent emanating from the fruit.
Once you bring your apricots home, you can leave them on the counter to ripen if they're a bit hard, but remember that stone fruits are never to be refrigerated, which can dry them out and negatively impact their flavor. Eat ripe apricots or turn them into jam or a dessert within a day or two, since they don't keep for very long.