US JUICE ® Health Benefits of Apricots

Apricots Prunus armeniaca are those beautifully orange colored fruits full of beta carotene and fiber that are one of the first signs of summer. Although dried and canned apricots are available year-round, fresh apricots with a plentiful supply of vitamin C, are in season from May through August. Fresh Apricots during winter months likely have been imported from either South America or New Zealand.

Apricots are rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene and rich in iron and potassium. It can help regulate blood pressure and is also high in soluble fibre, which helps maintain regular bowel function.

Dried or fresh apricots can be eaten freely. A handful of dried apricots supplies one fifth of an adult's daily potassium needs and between 10 and 20 percent of an adult's iron needs.

Relatives of peaches, apricots are small, golden orange fruits, with velvety skin and flesh, not too juicy but definitely smooth and sweet. Some describe their flavor as almost musky, with a faint tartness that lies somewhere between a peach and a plum.