Apricots and Apriums
Apricots are one of the first fruits we look forward to each summer. Golden to blush red, juicy, with their distinctive take on sweet and tart, these little bombshells are a delight to the senses.
At Frog Hollow Farm, we grow 13 varieties of organic apricots. They run the gamut from crowd-pleasers like Robada and Goldensweet to newer varieties like the sugary Goshen Gold. We also grow specialties such as the Honey Rich Aprium (a hybrid between apricot and plum) and the Cot N Candy white apricot.
Our typical apricot harvest runs from mid May through June.
| Variety | Description |
| Apache | The Apache apricot has a sweet, delicate flavor and a pleasing aroma. One of the first fruits off the tree in early summer, this apricot has pinkish-orange skin with an orange flesh that is finely textured. As a freestone apricot, this one is great for eating out of hand. |
| Kettleman | The Kettleman is a rich, golden red apricot with a beautiful aroma and a bit of tartness that apricot fans love. Smooth-textured and mildly sweet, Kettlemans are named after the California town near where the variety was bred and tested. They are available early-to-mid May. |
| Honey Rich Aprium | The pluots we grow are the more well known of Floyd Zaiger's work to crossbreed plums and apricots, but the Honey Rich is a prime example of the aprium which most strongly resembles its apricot parentage. Sweet even when the flesh is still crisp, they continue to ripen into soft juicy delicacies. Honey Riches are available mid-May to early June. |
| Katy | Introduced in 1978 and continues to be a popular choice. A red-blushed fruit that is large and firm with a very good flavor. It is an early shipping variety that has low chilling characteristics (Dave Wilson Nursery). |
| Helena | A USDA release apricot. The fruit is large and firm with a sweet flavor and moderate acidity. The skin color is yellow to orange with no blush. It has been known to freckle in wet Springs (Dave Wilson Nursery). |
| Cot N Candy | A white fleshed aprium developed by renowned plant breeder Floyd Zaiger. Characteristic of white fleshed stone fruit, these apriums have a more subtle sweetness than orange varieties, but with notes of honeydew, they are sure to please. These delicate fruits bruise easily, so handle with care. |
| Robada | A large and robust freestone apricot, the Robada has a particularly vibrant blush that makes the fruit seem to glow on the branch. Robadas look almost like tiny Japanese lanterns glowing from within. Robadas are available late May to early June. |
| Leah Cot Aprium | Developed by Floyd Zaiger, this aprium resembles an apricot with attractive orange skin and a rich apricot flavor. Sweet even when the flesh is still crisp, the Leah Cot continues to ripen into soft juicy delicacies. |
| Country Cot | Large freestone fruit with attractive deep orange skin and flesh. Very balanced acid to sugar ratio with firm flesh. Chef Mario recommends charring the Country Cot on a cast iron pan until burnt. Pair with your favorite ice cream or mascarpone with a touch of local honey! |
| Rojo | |
| Goldensweet | Among our best-selling apricots, the Goldensweet is a smaller fruit with a rich flavor. It has a brilliant golden orange skin with a soft blush, excellent for eating out of hand, baking, or cooking. The Goldensweet is our variety of choice for our best-selling apricot conserve. Goldensweets typically harvest from mid-June to early July. |
| Patterson | Named after the apricot capital of the world - Patterson, California - this apricot is a well loved favorite. Firm, medium-sized and offering sweet delicate flavor, Patterson is well suited for shipping, drying, or fresh use. |
| Goshen Gold | The brightly colored, late-season Goshen Gold apricot has become our new flavor favorite! This juicy, sweet freestone apricot stays on the tree a long time, allowing sugars maximum time for development. It is available in late June. |