Apriums

Apriums are one of those hybrids of plums and apricots. Unlike a pluot, the aprium is ¾ apricot and ¼ plum. Apriums maintain almost all of their apricot parent's characteristics--the texture, the size, and the color. They even taste more like apricot than plum, but there is a sweetness and hint of plum that you can't deny is there. The plum parent gives the aprium a little more juiciness than a regular apricot — not much, and a little deeper blush on the skin. The skin is also smooth — not fuzzy.

Nutrition:  Apriums are very low in sodium, high in dietary fiber, very hogh in Vitamin A and C.

In Season:  Apriums grow mostly in California. Like apricots, they don't really ripen off the tree. If you are lucky enough to pick your own, or live near a farmer's market, then not only am I jealous, but you will be able to taste them in their prime. I have read that you can ripen them on a counter in a closed paper bag — it didn't quite work for me with apriums — it does work with peaches and nectarines though.

What To Look For:  ‘Honey Rich’ is perhaps the most popular aprium variety; its name aptly suggests the fruit’s intensely sweet flavor. Other aprium favorites are ‘Flavor Delight’ and ‘Tasty Rich’. Apriums are a relatively new fruit. ‘Honey Rich’ was the first aprium introduced in 1989. The aprium was developed by California fruit hybridizer Floyd Zaiger, who also developed the pluot, a plum apricot hybrid. Other aprium varieties include ‘Autumn Sprite’, ‘Escort’, ‘Flavor Ann’, ‘Late Brittney’, and ‘Poppy Cot’, ‘Wescot’.