Nutrients in apricots can help protect the heart and eyes, as well as provide the disease-fighting effects of fiber. The high beta-carotene and lycopene activity of apricots makes them important heart health foods. Both beta-carotene and lycopene protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, which may help prevent heart disease.
History of Apricots
In the Beginning
Nearly 4000 years ago, a fruit belonging to the rose family was discovered on the mountain slopes of China. Today, it’s generally accepted that the Chinese first cultivated this ancient fruit, the wild ancestor to the present day apricot. It is also believed that the Chinese considered the apricot to contain special fertility enhancing properties.
With the strong sensory appeal of apricots’ delicate, velvety skin and intensely sweet fragrance and flavor, apricot cuttings traveled across the Persian Empire to the Mediterranean where they flourished. Many varieties of the fruit differing in size, color and flavor are still grown with popular appeal throughout the world today.
The Start of California’s Apricot History
In the 18th century, Spanish explorers introduced apricots to the New World. California inherited the golden blush fruit planted in the gardens of Spanish missions. In 1792, the first major production of California apricots was recorded.
By 1920, California proudly claimed a flourishing apricot industry located in the Santa Clara Valley, an area south of San Francisco also known for peaches, plums and cherries. Only fifteen years later, 2,737 California apricot growers farmed a total of 18,631 acres in the valley alone.
After World War II, the valley once known for fruit farming was fast becoming an area known for a growing computer industry and the development of the “Silicon Valley.” Consequently by the end of the century, California’s apricot orchards had been relocated to the San Joaquin Valley where they are predominately found today.
Today’s Apricot Industry
The apricot is one of California’s prized specialty crops. In fact, California produces a remarkable 95+% of all the apricots grown in the United States.
There are over 300 growers producing apricots from orchards covering 17,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley with the leading production area being Stanislaus County.
Varieties
California apricot growers produce a number of apricot varieties. The most dominant variety planted and produced in California today is the Patterson developed in 1969 by Fred W. Anderson. A consistent producer and very versatile, the Patterson is used for canning, freezing, drying, concentrate and fresh shipment.
Season and Usage
Eagerly awaited as one of the first summer fruits, the apricot has a relatively short fresh season. Depending on harvest conditions, consumers can generally find California apricots in the produce aisles beginning mid-May and continuing through early July. Consumers desiring apricots’ sweetly tart flavor and healthy properties year-round can easily turn to apricot nectar, and canned, dried or frozen California apricots which are nutritionally comparable to their fresh counterparts.
A Focus on Tradition
California’s rich apricot heritage reflects the same passion growers possess today for the alluring apricot. To keep the tradition alive, the Apricot Producers of California fight to strengthen and preserve the California apricot industry. Three times larger in the 1920’s, the California apricot industry has been hit hard by factors such as the importation of foreign apricot products and the increase of consumer fruit choices in the marketplace. Although California is still a leader in the apricot industry, growers willingly face an uncertain future to continue producing the delicate and beloved apricot.
Prunes
Prunes are widely known as a good source of dietary fiber, which helps normalize blood sugar levels by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach and by delaying the absorption of glucose (the form in which sugar is transported in the blood) following a meal. Soluble fiber also increases insulin sensitivity and can therefore play a helpful role in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. Also prunes' soluble fiber promotes a sense of satisfied fullness after a meal by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach, so prunes can also help prevent overeating and weight gain.
Carbohydrates provide the body with sources of energy and so should be consumed when the body is to exert itself more than normal. They release energy quickly and easily so sportsmen and women consume them before taking part in their sports.
Dietary Fibre is an important nutrient for everyone and it is not consumed as much as it should be. It is the indigestible part of our food and comes from whole grain products and fruits among other things.
It has been shown that a regular intake of fibre can reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It also reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood.
Its passage through the bodies intestines reduces the risk of gastrointestinal problems, including colon cancer and aids the defecation process, reducing the risk of hemorrhoids.
The consumption of dates instead of other types of carbohydrate such as sweets and cakes is recommended.
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