Apricots – June 2015

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Apricots – Ours are like no other, Simply the Best!

Harvest is underway in our orchards and the sweet aroma of freshly picked apricots has filled the Bella Viva dry yard. Due to the California drought our crop is lighter than normal, however, this has resulted in much larger and sweeter fruit! Their beautiful orange color ensures they were picked at peak ripeness, when their natural sugar content has reached the perfect stage for our drying requirements. Our proprietary drying process along with the California Sunshine, create a unique flavor profile and texture like no other. Offering over 10 different types of these delicious dried apricots, including natural and organic, we think these are some of the tastiest you will find! They’re so good we had to offer a double Web Special for June, our Whole California Apricots and our California Natural Dried Apricots!

Apricots are not just a tasty treat, modern science also suggests they may have a positive impact on our health. According to the Vision Centre at the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) in Ireland, there is a link between Alzheimer’s disease and poor vision. It seems that individuals afflicted by the disease tend to have a deficiency in dietary carotenoids; which “at the back of the eye where they are vitally important, are referred to as macular pigment” (JAD). Fortunately, at the Vision Centre they have found that carotenoid supplements have improved research subjects’ eye sight. Now you may be asking, how does this relate to apricots? Well, the Spanish National Research Council (CEBAS-CSIC) has studied 37 apricot varieties. They found a positive correlation between the fruit’s pigment (flesh and skin) and carotenoid content.

Fun Facts About Apricots!

  • Apricots are members of the rose family (UC).
  • Turkey accounts for about 85% of global dried apricot production (Ozel).
  • About 20% of California’s apricot crop is dried (USDA).
  • California White Apricot seeds were originally brought from Iran (Bella Viva).
  • The Spanish National Research Council has found a positive correlation between apricot pigment (flesh and skin) and carotenoids (CEBAS-CSIC).
  • The Vision Centre at the Waterford Institute of Technology has found that carotenoid supplements have improved Alzheimer’s patients’ eye sight (WIT)(JAD).

Matthew Muller
Bella Viva Copywriter

Thanks for choosing Bella Viva Orchards!