🍑 Apricot

Apricots can succeed in the UK against a warm, sheltered, south-facing wall, where they are sheltered from frost and ripen in the heat reflected from the brickwork. Self-fertile varieties such as Moorpark give delicious fruit in a good summer.

The key challenge is frost protection of the early blossom in February to March, so be prepared to cover with fleece on cold nights. A fan-trained tree is the best form.

Varieties to try

Moorpark (the traditional, reliable choice)Tomcot (early, heavy)Flavorcot (heavy, late-flowering)Isabelle (late flowers, reliable)Early Moorpark (early)

Plant a young tree in a sunny, sheltered spot against a south-facing wall, in fertile, free-draining soil, ideally with lime. Dig a large hole and add compost. Plant with graft 5 cm above soil, and tie into wires as a fan.

Apricots on St Julien A rootstock are most common. Mulch around the base. Container-grown trees can go in a large pot in a greenhouse.

Top tips

• Choose a south-facing wall.
• Add lime to acid soil.
• Fan-train on wires.
• Mulch well.

Protect blossom with a double layer of fleece on frosty nights, removing during the day for pollinators. Hand-pollinate flowers with a soft brush if few insects are about. Thin fruitlets in June to 8 cm apart.

Prune in summer only to avoid silver leaf and bacterial canker. Water regularly in dry weather, especially when fruit swells. Feed with a general fertiliser in spring.

Top tips

• Fleece blossom on frosty nights.
• Hand-pollinate flowers.
• Prune in summer only.
• Thin fruitlets.

Watch out for

Frost damage to blossomBacterial cankerSilver leafBirds and waspsPeach leaf curl

Pick apricots when fully coloured, slightly soft, and they come away from the tree easily, in August. Ripen fully on the tree for the best flavour, but pick before they split. Pick over several visits.

Handle gently; they bruise easily. Eat soon after picking.

Test ripeness by gently cupping the fruit and giving it a slight twist; ripe apricots come away easily, and the flesh gives a little near the stalk. Apricots picked underripe never develop their full sweetness, so be patient even if wasps and birds are interested, and net or cover the tree with a fine mesh bag to protect it.

Top tips

• Ripen on the tree.
• Pick over several visits.
• Handle gently.
• Eat promptly.

Eat fresh, bake in tarts, cakes, and crumbles, poach, or make jam, chutney and dried apricots. Their flavour concentrates when cooked. Pair with almonds, honey and vanilla.

Fresh fruit lasts 3–5 days. Halve, stone and freeze on trays, or dry in a low oven.

Apricots make an outstanding jam, particularly when a few of the kernels are cracked and added for an almond-like flavour. Halve and roast them with honey and thyme, serve poached with vanilla ice cream, or dry them in a very low oven (70°C) for several hours for chewy, intensely flavoured snacks.

Top tips

• Pair with almonds.
• Freeze halved fruit.
• Dry in a low oven.
• Make jam.