The Difference Between A Peach And An Apricot

In the South, we love

our peaches

, which the region produces with pride. We toss them on the grill, make them into preserves, bake them in classic cobblers, and even eat them plain over the sink. And while we have just as much love for other stone fruits, like

deep-hued plums

and

sweet nectarines

, there’s one that doesn’t have quite the same cache: the apricot.

Apricots aren’t grown locally in the South, and they’re smaller than their Southern favorite cousin, the peach. However, if peaches are your usual go-to, the apricot is a fruit to consider. Apricots look like baby peaches, and the two have a lot in common—they’re both in season during the summer, for example—but there are some differences to keep in mind when following recipes, as the two aren’t necessarily interchangeable.

What Are The Similarities Between Peaches And Apricots?

Peaches and apricots are two different species, but

they’re both stone fruits

, members of the genus

Prunus

, which means they have a rock-hard pit in the center, along with a few other similarities.

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Types Of Varieties

They both come in clingstone, freestone, and semi-freestone varieties, which refers to how easily the fruit’s flesh separates from the center pit.

Color And Skin

Both have velvety skins, although peaches are more often fuzzy (and fuzzier) than most apricots. The color of their skins and flesh can also both range from champagne to vermillion, shades so gorgeous that we sometimes use their names to describe certain hues.

Smell

Both peaches and apricots release their aroma when ripe and ready to enjoy. You might have to pick up an apricot and give it a sniff to pick up its subtle scent, whereas a bowl of ripe peaches can perfume the entire kitchen.

What Makes Peaches And Apricots Different?

One of the biggest differences between peaches and apricots is that they are different species. Here are a few others.

Size

Apricots are, in general, much smaller than peaches. They are about a quarter of the size, and therefore have smaller pits.

Taste

Apricots tend to be sweet-tart and firm, while peaches are sweeter and juicier by nature. It’s not that apricots aren’t good to pick up and eat, but we’re less likely to need to lean over the sink to do so.

Water Content

Peaches have a much higher water content than apricots, which is what makes them so juicy. However, this means that apricots and peaches are not necessarily interchangeable in recipes. We’re more likely to have success using one in place of the other in uncooked recipes, such as smoothies, salads, and fruit salsas, but it’s best to avoid making that swap in baked goods and cooked recipes.

When Is Peach And Apricot Season?

By May, in-season, fresh apricots and peaches appear on supermarket shelves. Peach season runs May through mid-August (depending on where the peaches are grown), while apricots have a shorter run, peaking from May through early July.

Types Of Peaches

When

peaches are in season

, you can find the freshest ones, while supporting the local economy, from orchards, u-pick farms, side-of-the-road stands, and farmers’ markets. South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Tennessee all produce peaches in the South. There are thousands of peach varieties, but South Carolina, the second-ranking U.S. producer, and Georgia, the third-ranking U.S. producer, grow about 40 varieties of peaches.

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Peach flesh can be yellow, the classic peach we eat in the South, or white, a sweeter peach more common in Asia. Peaches deliver vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber.

• ‘Donut’ (
  
  Prunus persica var. platycarp
  
  ): Also called Saturn peaches,
  
  this varietal
  
  is known for its smashed, plate-like look, and almond flavor.
• ‘Cresthaven’: This yellow peach has little fuzz, yellow flesh, and a deep red blush. It is cold hardy and ripens in late summer.
• ‘White Lady’: This
  
  white peach
  
  ripens in late July, It’s high in sugar and less so in acid, making it less tangy in taste.
  
  

Our Favorite Peach Recipes

• 
  Peach Cobbler
  
• 
  Peach Fried Pie
  
• 
  McLeod Farms’Fresh Peach Pound Cake
  
• 
  Peach Salsa
  
• 
  Tomato, Peach, and Corn Salad Recipe
  
• 
  Peach Milkshake
  

Types Of Apricots

Most of the apricots produced in the U.S. are from California.

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Like peaches, there are clingstone, freestone, and semi-freestone apricots. Apricots are high in vitamins A and C, potassium, and antioxidants. They are light orange but can be more yellow or a deeper, warm orange, depending on the variety. While the fresh apricot season is short, dried apricots, mostly from Turkey, are commonly eaten as a snack and in baked goods, salads, glazes, sauces, and preserves.

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• ‘Patterson’: This common California variety is harvested mid-summer and is suited to canning.
  
  6
  
• ‘Tilton’: Tiltons are also harvested early to mid-summer, and do well with heat.
  
  6
  
  It has a tangy, more tropical taste.
• ‘Poppy’: One of the most common varieties, poppy apricots ripen early in the season and are larger with yellow or orange flesh. It is a freestone.
  
  6
  
• ‘Blenheim’: Originating in Oxfordshire, England, this heirloom variety is prized for its complex sweet and tarty taste.
  
  

Our Favorite Apricot Recipes

• 
  Apple-Bourbon Pie
  
• 
  Apricot-Glazed Ham
  
• 
  Apricot Chicken
  
• 
  Apricot Thumbprints
  
• 
  Lydia Faust’s Texas Kolaches