distinctive aroma of fresh apricots comes from a rich mixture of terpenes that provide citrus, herbal, and floral notes, and from peach-like compounds (lactones) They are rich in pectin, which gives them a luscious texture when fully ripe, a meaty texture when dried Stone fruits and the flower from which they arise Peaches and cherries derive from an ovary that sits above the base of the flower parts, so the fruits show no remnants of the flower Apricots are delicate fruits that don’t travel well, so most are processed They’re especially suited to drying, which concentrates their sweet-tart flavor well even when they’re overripe Most dried apricots in the United States come either from a few western states or from Turkey, which exports a relatively pale, bland variety with half the carotenoid pigments and acidity of the Blenheim and Patterson varieties of California The fruits are dried in the sun in early summer for one or two weeks, until they reach a moisture content of 15–20% Usually they’re treated with sulfur dioxide to preserve the abundant beta-carotene and other carotenoids, vitamin C, and fresh flavor Unsulfured apricots are brown and have a flatter, cooked taste Cherry Cherries come in two basic types from two different species, both of which are native to western Asia and southeast Europe Sweet cherries are the fruits of Prunus avium, which is probably one of the parents of the sour cherry, Prunus cerasus Sweet and sour cherries differ mainly in their maximum sugar content, with sweet cherries accumulating significantly more Cherries don’t improve ... a relatively pale, bland variety with half the carotenoid pigments and acidity of the Blenheim and Patterson varieties of California The fruits are dried in the sun in early summer for one or two weeks, until they... from two different species, both of which are native to western Asia and southeast Europe Sweet cherries are the fruits of Prunus avium, which is probably one of the parents of the sour cherry, Prunus cerasus Sweet and sour... reach a moisture content of 15–20% Usually they’re treated with sulfur dioxide to preserve the abundant beta-carotene and other carotenoids, vitamin C, and fresh flavor Unsulfured apricots are brown and have a