{"id":12081,"date":"2022-11-07T10:22:46","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T10:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farmandanimals.com\/?p=12081"},"modified":"2022-11-07T10:22:48","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T10:22:48","slug":"how-to-pick-apricots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farmandanimals.com\/how-to-pick-apricots\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Pick Apricots: A Simple Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Due to the delicate nature of ripe apricots, which bruise easily, they are best picked individually by hand. Commercially this is done on lifts, ladders, or with picking poles. Ideally, keeping your apricot tree<\/a> pruned in an open shape with four or five strong scaffold branches will allow for easy hand harvesting. But are there any special techniques for how to pick apricots? Let\u2019s find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do You Pick Apricots?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Apricots are soft fruit that, when really ripe, become quite squishy. Although the best way to enjoy them is fresh from the tree at that stage, it isn\u2019t the most practical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is because apricot fruits tend to ripen around the same time. Luckily, they can be picked a little before reaching full ripeness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is done by applying gentle downward pressure around the fruit with your fingers and pulling straight down to free it from the branch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commercially picked fruits are gathered when they are still reasonably hard but are no longer green. This is because they need to withstand sorting, packing, shipping, and staying good on the shelf in the store for a reasonable time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem with this is that although apricots will continue to ripen once picked, they don\u2019t become any sweeter. This means inevitably, you lose out on their full delicious flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even today, premium fresh apricots are hand-picked, but this is a time-consuming task and makes it very labor-intensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two great advantages to hand-picking commercial apricots are that the picker can judge by eye and feel how ripe the apricot is, and they are less likely to damage the fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mechanical harvesting techniques<\/a> do also exist. Most are in the form of shakers that shake the tree, causing the fruits to drop into hoppers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main disadvantage of mechanical picking is that because not all fruits mature simultaneously, some will still be very underripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mechanical devices’ main advantage is speed, which can save the orchard owner money in labor time and personnel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re lucky enough to have an apricot tree in your yard or a friend who can spare you some fruit, then leave them on the tree until they are just beginning to show a small amount of give, have no green areas, and smell sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only way to tell exactly how sweet they are is by eating one! So ensure you do a taste test and see what you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be careful when placing your picked apricot into a receptacle \u2013 usually a bucket or basket. Avoid just throwing it in and try instead to place it gently, as this will avoid bruising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you haven\u2019t used a ton of chemical treatments on your tree, then there are likely to be some marks and imperfections to the apricots \u2013 that\u2019s fine! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, it\u2019s great as you don\u2019t ingest all the nasty stuff, just the pure deliciousness of the tasty apricot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t worry if your apricots look slightly misshapen or have a wrinkle here and there, they are still totally fine to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you pluck the apricots from the tree, the stem should be left behind. This is another sign that the apricot is ripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do You Know When Apricots Are Ready To Pick?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before gathering your apricots, you must first establish if they are ripe enough<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many different varieties of apricot, and they have a range of colors when ripe, from pale yellow to deep reddy orange. So it isn\u2019t just the color you\u2019re looking for when testing for ripeness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the entire tree of apricots will ripen very rapidly, it\u2019s best to gather them quite close together as they reach the ripeness you desire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also means that if you have a large tree with a bumper crop, you\u2019ll need to convert the fruits in some way, or they will quickly rot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their smell is a really good indication of ripeness. The odor should be strong and sweet but not sickly sweet, as this can mean they are beginning to go rotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, feel it. It should be plump and firm, but when given a gentle squeeze, it will give a little under the pressure of your fingers but not be soft or squishy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hard green apricots need to be left on the tree to mature further. These won\u2019t ripen if you pick them, as they are still too under-ripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be a delicate balance between achieving the perfect ripeness for picking and beating the birds, squirrels<\/a>, and other wildlife from eating these succulent fruits before you get the chance to harvest them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this video, you will see how to tell when your apricots are truly ripe: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MqLWVRgZ418<\/a>