Superfood spotlight: Apricots

Online pastry courses could prove a great way to learn to utilize an often overlooked superfood: apricots. These orange fruits are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and antioxidants, and also have nutrients that protect your eyesight. In the United States, apricots are in season during the warmer summer months and make a colorful and tasty accent to any dinner table.

Apricots are a stone fruit, smaller than peaches or nectarines, but  with a similar fuzzy skin and internal texture. Apricots should be eaten when they are soft and orange, as this is when they are richest in nutrients and flavor. When apricots over ripen they become mushy and turn a reddish color.

Recipe ideas for apricots
Apricots have a distinct balance of sweet and tart flavors that go well with chicken or lamb. Apricots are also a good breakfast addition to a bowl of cereal or yogurt, or can be minced and added to pancake batter. More recently, apricots have been used to flavor a number of seasonal beers. Dried apricots can be included in trail mix with nuts, other fruits and chocolate. In desserts, apricots are great for strudels, turnovers and baklava.