📊 Full nutrition facts — per 100g
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily value | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 48 kcal | 2% | |
| Carbohydrates | 11.1g | 4% | |
| Dietary fibre | 2.0g | 7% | |
| Sugars | 9.2g | — | |
| GI (Glycaemic Index) | 34 — Low | — | |
| Protein | 1.4g | 3% | |
| Vitamin A (beta-carotene) | 96µg RAE | 11% | |
| Vitamin C | 10mg | 11% | |
| Potassium | 259mg | 6% | |
| Vitamin E | 0.9mg | 5% | |
| Copper | 0.08mg | 4% | |
| Lutein+Zeaxanthin | 89µg | — |
Based on Australian NRV. Source: FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database.
📈 Glycaemic index (GI)
💊 Key vitamins & minerals
✅ Health benefits
Apricots are one of the richest fruit sources of beta-carotene, the orange carotenoid pigment that the body converts to vitamin A. Beta-carotene protects eye health (reducing risk of night blindness and macular degeneration), supports skin cell turnover and immune function. The deeper the orange colour of the apricot, the higher the beta-carotene content — a reliable visual guide to nutritional quality.
Apricots provide a combination of soluble fibre (pectin) and sorbitol — a natural sugar alcohol — that together support regular bowel movements and feed beneficial gut bacteria. The pectin in apricots has prebiotic properties, promoting Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus growth. Apricots are traditionally used as a gentle natural remedy for constipation, particularly suitable for children and elderly people.
The potassium content of apricots (259mg/100g) combined with their antioxidant carotenoids provides cardiovascular support. Potassium counteracts the blood pressure-raising effects of sodium and supports arterial elasticity. The anthocyanins and carotenoids in apricots reduce LDL oxidation — a key step in atherosclerosis development.
Apricots provide meaningful vitamin K (3.3µg/100g) essential for bone mineralisation (activating osteocalcin — the protein that anchors calcium in bone matrix), along with small but useful amounts of calcium. Dried apricots are more concentrated in both minerals. Regular fruit consumption is independently associated with improved bone mineral density in population studies.
⚠️ Who should limit or avoid
Apricots belong to the Rosaceae family alongside peaches, plums, cherries and almonds. People with birch pollen allergy frequently experience oral allergy syndrome (OAS) with apricots — itching and tingling of the lips and mouth. Cooking apricots (jam, stewing) denatures the reactive proteins and usually eliminates OAS symptoms.
Dried apricots contain approximately 53g of sugar per 100g — more than 5x the sugar density of fresh apricots. They are very easy to overconsume as a snack. Sulphur dioxide-preserved dried apricots (bright orange) may cause reactions in sulphite-sensitive individuals. Unsulphured dried apricots (dark brown) avoid this but have less carotenoid preservation.
Apricot kernels (the seeds inside the stone) contain amygdalin which converts to cyanide in the body. Even small quantities can cause serious poisoning — particularly dangerous for children. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia has issued warnings against consuming raw apricot kernels or products containing apricot kernel extract.
🛒 How to select & buy apricot
A ripe apricot has a distinct sweet, floral, slightly musky fragrance. An unripe apricot has no smell. Supermarket apricots are often harvested early and may lack flavour even when soft — buying from farmers' markets during the Australian summer season (November–February) gives significantly better flavour and nutrition.
The deeper orange the apricot, the higher the beta-carotene content — this is not just a flavour indicator but a nutritional one. Pale yellow or greenish apricots were harvested too early and will never develop full flavour or carotenoid content, even if they soften at room temperature. Look for rich orange-gold skin with no green tinges.
A ripe apricot yields to gentle thumb pressure like a just-ripe peach — slight give, not firmness or mushiness. The skin should be smooth and velvety with no wrinkles (underripe) or shrivelling (overripe). A split along the suture (natural crease line) indicates overripeness but is still perfectly edible and often sweeter.
🧊 Storage tips & shelf life
Slightly underripe apricots ripen beautifully on the bench in 2–3 days. Do not refrigerate unripe apricots — cold halts ripening permanently and destroys texture. Place in a paper bag to speed ripening.
Once ripe, refrigerate immediately. Store loosely — not stacked — in the crisper drawer. Bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before eating for the best flavour, as cold suppresses aromatic compounds.
Excellent for preserving the season's harvest. Halve and remove stones, arrange on a tray and freeze until solid, then transfer to zip-lock bags. Frozen apricots are perfect for smoothies, baking, crumbles and jam-making. No blanching required.
📖 About apricot — complete guide
Apricots have a longer cultivated history than almost any other stone fruit — archaeobotanical evidence places apricot cultivation in China's Yangtze River valley at least 4,000 years ago, and the fruit travelled west along the Silk Road to Persia (giving rise to its species name armeniaca — 'Armenian') and then to Greece, Rome and eventually Australia. Spanish missionaries planted the first apricots in California from Moorish Spain cuttings, and Australian settlers brought European varieties that thrived in the Murray-Darling irrigation regions. Today South Australia's Riverland is one of the world's finest apricot-growing regions, producing Moorpark and Trevatt varieties prized internationally for jam and confectionery.
Nutritionally, apricots are distinguished by their exceptional beta-carotene concentration relative to their caloric cost — at just 48 kcal per 100g, a serving of apricots provides more carotenoid antioxidants than most foods three to four times their caloric density. The relationship between apricot colour and nutritional value is direct and measurable: orange-pigmented varieties contain 10–20 times more beta-carotene than white-fleshed varieties. This makes apricot colour a practical nutritional guide for consumers — the deeper the orange, the higher the carotenoid content. Dried apricots, despite their high sugar concentration, are one of the most iron-rich dried fruits available and are widely recommended for plant-based diets where iron intake can be challenging.