• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Eat Like No One Else logo

  • 🏠 Home
  • ℹ️ About
    • How to Eat Like No One Else
  • πŸŽ„ Christmas
    • Christmas Breakfast
    • Christmas Cookies
    • Christmas Food Guides
    • Shopping for Christmas Dinner
  • 🎁 Shop for Gifts
  • 🍽️ Recipes
  • ✍️ Sign Up for Virtual Events
  • 🚫 Reduce Food Waste
  • πŸ”¨ Work With Us
  • πŸ“ Privacy Policy
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ℹ️ About Us
  • 🍽️ Recipes
  • πŸŽ™οΈ Podcast
  • 🚫 Reduce Food Waste
  • πŸ›’ Best Grocery Stores
  • 🍎 Apples Reviews
  • πŸ”¨ Work With Us
  • πŸ“ Privacy Policy
    • Instagram
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • ℹ️ About Us
    • 🍽️ Recipes
    • πŸŽ™οΈ Podcast
    • 🚫 Reduce Food Waste
    • πŸ›’ Best Grocery Stores
    • 🍎 Apples Reviews
    • πŸ”¨ Work With Us
    • πŸ“ Privacy Policy
    • Instagram
  • Γ—

    Home Β» At the Store Β» Fruit & Vegetables Β» What are Red Velvet Apricots?

    What are Red Velvet Apricots?

    Published: May 23, 2013 by Eric Samuelson

    Red Velvet Apricots

    There a few weeks each year around mid-April to mid-May that I like to call the Great Fruit Drought. Citrus has peaked for the most part and we are awaiting the first stone fruit and cherries to come out of California. Thankfully I have made it through another drought and am starting to enjoy stone fruit again. One piece of fruit I have been looking forward to in particular are Red Velvet Apricots. I had these beautiful fruits last year and they rocked my world.

    What are Velvet Apricots?

    The fruit has the same shape as your everyday apricot but as you noticed the color is way different. How can this be? Kingsburg Orchards are the creators of this unique apricot. The apricots are pollinated by plums. They are NOT a pluot or plumcot which is a plum/apricot mix showing more plum characteristics. That is where the color comes from. Kingsburg developed a series of these apricots, each one ripening at a different time with the Red Velvet being the first. They have enough varieties of velvets to last from mid-May to the beginning of August - each a different color: blue, crimson, gold, black, and ruby. Each apricot has a dinosaur sticker with the PLU code and a link to Kingsburg Orchards' kid web site.

    My Experience with this Apricot (Rating Scale 1-10)
    [table]
    Aspect, Score
    Sweetness, 9
    Tartness, 3
    Flavor, 9
    Juiciness, 9
    [/table]

    Better not be wearing a nice shirt when you sink your teeth into these apricots! They are juicy and super sweet without much of a hint of acidity. The flavor is amazing too. It's a shame they are only around for a few weeks each year. One of the nicest features of this apricot is that they seem to arrive to the store ready to eat. They don't arrive green or rock hard like other apricots do. It's such a rare treat to get to pick a piece of stone fruit from it's display and enjoy it as soon as you take it home (if not on the car ride home!). These things are so sweet and have so little acid they ripen up quickly. If they are ripe make sure you store them in the fridge when you bring them home.

    How to Pick a Ripe Red Velvet Apricot

    As the fruit ripens it turns a more darker red color, more like a purple. It should just barely give to gentle pressure. It can be eaten more firm than you would eat a peach.

    Where to Buy Red Velvet Apricots?

    Below is a list of stores that I have carried them in the past. If you know a place not on this list please leave a comment below with the store and location.

    Meijer (spotted in Ann Arbor, MI)
    Whole Foods Market (spotted in Ann Arbor, MI)
    Kroger (spotted in Ann Arbor, MI)

    Here is a video I found online from the CBS Chicago station recommending the Red Velvet:

    « Alton Brown's Grilled Pizza Review
    How to Oven Roast Tender Juicy Chicken Breast »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Nice to Meet You,

    Hi! I'm Eric : Father of 4, living just south of Ann Arbor, MI. I'm a reformed picky eater finding a new way to not conform. Eating what's in season is my jam (I also make it!)

    ☘️ Instant Pot Corned Beef Recipe

    Categories

    Top Posts & Pages

    What Easy Side Dishes for Easter Ham
    Episode 101 - Make Your Own Pan Pizza
    Episode 100 - How to Cook Sausage in a Hotel Room
    Episode 099 - Best Fish to Buy at ALDI

    Recent Posts

    • What Easy Side Dishes for Easter Ham
    • Episode 101 - Make Your Own Pan Pizza
    • Episode 100 - How to Cook Sausage in a Hotel Room
    • Episode 099 - Best Fish to Buy at ALDI
    • Vacuum Packed Corned Beef Shelf Life

    Reduce Food Waste in Your House

    Copyright © 2023 Eat Like No One Else on the Foodie Pro Theme