Apricot Day

Apricot Day is January 9th

Delicious and juicy apricots are usually harvested in the summer, but dried apricots and apricot flavored things can be enjoyed all year long. This day gives you a chance to celebrate them during a time when you might not usually get to. Eat dried apricots and hunt down as many apricot flavored things as you can to celebrate! It's almost time to start planting apricot seeds, which are usually planted in late February or March. So you can also celebrate Apricot Day by getting your garden ready for some apricot seeds! 

Bukra fil mishmish (tomorrow, when apricots are in season).

The word apricot originates from the Latin word praecocia meaning early ripen, but it also originally came from the Greeks, the Arabic influence in Spain and the French. Gaspard Bauhin referred to apricots as the Armenian Apple due to its scientific name Armeniaca in reference to Maia Armeniaca.

It is said that apricots first originated along the Chinese and Russian border, migrating with the country’s trade along the Great Silk Road around 2000 B.C. But it is known that apricots were found in Armenia during the Eneolithic-era due to an archaeological excavation. Around 106 B.C.E General Lucullus even exported trees from Armenia to Europe.

More About Apricots

Apricot trees are hardy winter trees that can grow up to 30 ft with blooms of pink and white and live about 75 years. They normally bloom in early February or March unless the frost gets to them. Unlike their cousins the peach, which blooms in early summer.

This golden-orange fruit is notoriously eaten in the summer, but celebrated in the winter. It is said to be a precocious fruit. It is a cousin to the peach in its texture and color, but in the same genus as plums, cherries, peaches, and almonds. Whether you like your apricots juiced, canned, dried, or fresh, there is no wrong way to enjoy them.

Ways to Enjoy Apricots

Apricot Raspberry Preserves
Apricot and Strawberry Smoothie
Baked Apricot Chicken
Apricot Bars
Maple Apricot Granola
Apricot Cobbler
Apricot Salsa with Lemon Verbena

Apricots aren’t just used in baked goods, jams, or fresh cut up snacks, they are also used in distilled liqueurs.

Fun Fact: The seeds or kernels of apricot pits are poisonous until roasted.

Health Benefits of an Apricot

Apricots are a decent source for fiber, vitamin A, B, C, E, Potassium, Beta Carotene, and antioxidants. Apricots can also promote eye, liver, skin, and gut health. Also, they are good for preventing possible inflammation and high levels of cholesterol.

Apricots are easy to add into your diet - mixing them into your granola, mixing them into yogurt or salad, or cooking with them in meat or desserts etc.

Apricots have an interesting winding road of history and facts, but nonetheless are a fruit that we all know and love. 

So no matter what type of fruit you are into - a precocious one or not, make sure to celebrate this day by making your favorite apricot snack or dish.