Ever bought a bag of apricots at the grocery store only to find they’re as hard as rocks and stay that way? It’s a common frustration. Usually, store-bought apricots won’t ripen much once you get them home; they just stay hard and flavorless. However, if you’re lucky enough to have your own tree, there are a few tricks to help those firm backyard harvests reach that perfect, honey-sweet peak.
Understanding the Ripening Process
Here’s the deal: most apricot varieties pretty much stop ripening the moment they’re picked. You might get a tiny bit of softening over the next two or three days, but that’s about it. This is why store-bought fruit is often a letdown. Farmers pick them just before they’re fully ripe so they don’t mush during shipping. By the time they hit the produce aisle, that small window for “after-ripening” has usually already closed.
How to Spot a Perfectly Ripe Apricot
If you want to know if an apricot is ready for snack time, you’ve got to use your senses. Forget just looking at the color—give it the touch and sniff test:
- Give it a gentle squeeze. If it feels hard, leave it at the store; it’s likely never going to get sweet.
- Take a sniff. A ripe apricot should have a strong, sweet, and floral aroma. No scent usually means no flavor.
- Check the texture. You’re looking for flesh that is soft and gives slightly under gentle pressure from your thumb.
- If it hits all these marks, it’s ready to eat right now!
- Once they reach this stage, you can keep them in the fridge for about a day or two to keep them from going bad.
Tips for Your Backyard Harvest
If you’re a home gardener, you have the upper hand! Before you start picking, check the consistency, smell, and color of the fruit right on the branch. If it looks and smells so good you want to eat it immediately, it’s probably ready. To really bring out that signature sugary aroma, you can let your homegrown apricots sit out at room temperature for a day or so after picking.
Pro tip: Lay them out in a single layer so they have plenty of airflow and aren’t touching each other. This prevents bruising and helps that world-class flavor really shine through.