A ripe apricot gives slightly and retains a light indentation when gently pressed with a finger. A rock-hard apricot is not yet ripe; one that is very soft and holds a deep fingerprint may be overripe or starting to spoil. Color is another clue: the surface, including around the stem, is expected to be orange-yellow. Greenish areas can indicate that the apricot is not fully ripe. Ripeness can also be judged by aroma: ripe apricots give off a noticeable sweet smell even from a short distance, while a fruit with no aroma may have been picked early before ripening fully on the tree.
How to Read Color and Firmness
Color varies by variety, but a general guideline is to look for fruit without pale yellow or greenish areas, which may indicate incomplete ripening. Reddish-pink patches can be normal in some varieties, so consider color together with firmness rather than on its own. Gently squeezing the fruit in your palm is a more reliable firmness test than pressing with a fingertip. A fingertip can bruise one small area, while palm pressure gives a more balanced sense of the fruit's overall firmness.
How to Ripen Unripe Apricots
Apricots picked unripe may ripen within a few days when kept at room temperature in a paper bag. The bag traps ethylene gas naturally released by the fruit and speeds ripening. Adding a banana or apple to the bag may speed the process further because these fruits release more ethylene. Keep the bag in a cool, shaded spot rather than direct sunlight; the sun can ripen the outside faster than the inside and lead to uneven ripening.
How to Identify Overripe or Spoiled Apricots
Apricots with dents, wet spots, or brown soft areas may be overripe or starting to spoil; if there is no mold, rot, or sour smell, use them soon or cook them in recipes such as jam. Rotten or moldy apricots cannot be salvaged by cooking; throw them out. A whitish, fuzzy coating on the surface is mold, so do not use that apricot. A sour or alcohol-like smell may indicate fermentation. Even if the inside looks normal, the fruit may taste unusually sour.
Common Shopping Mistakes
A common mistake is assuming that large, shiny apricots are automatically higher quality. Size and shine do not always indicate ripeness; some varieties are naturally smaller and duller. Avoid selecting apricots piled on top of one another in a bag, since the fruit underneath can be crushed by the weight and become more prone to spoilage. Another common mistake is mixing apricots at different stages of ripeness in one bag: ripe fruit releases ethylene that can speed the ripening of unripe fruit, while becoming overripe itself sooner than expected.
Some people eat apricots immediately after taking them out of the refrigerator, but cold can noticeably mute their flavor and aroma. Let them come to room temperature before eating for a better result.