Good-Bye Apricots?
GnG reader Marc sent me this recent article about the decline of the California apricot. Farmers struggle against cheap foreign fruits, and for many, the apricot trees no longer turn a profit. Five years ago you could count 100 major apricot growers; now there are 50. In 12 years, most of the current crop of trees will stop producing, and few farmers will have the financial motivation to replant.
And what can we expect in the produce section then? Rock hard “fresh” apricots that have been shipped from afar? A bland fruit that has little in common with the aromatic juiciness of an apricot picked while ripe? I dread the demise of my favorite fruit.
California residents: When apricots arrive at the market this year, buy early and buy often. Preserve the memory of an apricot’s luscious perfume, while you still can.
