Jam me up Scotty! What better way to treat an apricot than to spread it on a piece of toast. Mmmmm…

The prunus armeniaca or apricot tree has been cultivated since ancient times. It grows to a height of around 40ft maximum and produces delicious fruit. It has bright green oval shaped leaves, and pretty pale pink blossoms that bloom in the spring. The fruit is similar to a peach with a firm flesh and is very tasty. Apricot seeds have been found at archeological sites dating back to pre-historic times, evidence that humans have been enjoying apricots for a very long time! Delicious eaten fresh, if you get a massive harvest of apricots you can also dry them, they'll last a long time this way. Apricot trees can be prone to various diseases. Fascinating fact - Amaretto liquer and amaretti biscuits are not actually flavoured with almonds, but with an extract of apricot kernels.