Cot-N-Candy Aprium®
Estimated Inventory, 8 lbs : 0
Description/Taste
Cot-N-Candy Aprium® is a hybrid stone fruit. It's round with a slight heart shape, measuring about 5 to 10 centimeters in diameter. Like apricots, Cot-N-Candy Aprium® is covered in a velvety layer of fuzz. Its skin is mostly orange-yellow with patches of red-pink blush tones. Underneath the skin, its flesh is firm and dense with a pale yellow-white hue. Cot-N-Candy Aprium® flesh has a juicy texture that's easily dissolved when eaten and encases an inedible brown pit. The fruit has a subtly sweet and floral fragrance similar to apricots and plums. Cot-N-Candy Aprium® has a balanced sweet, acidic flavor with notes of apricot and honeydew melon. It has a prominent plum-like aftertaste.
Seasons/Availability
Cot-N-Candy Aprium® is typically available from early to mid-summer.
Current Facts
The botanical name for Cot-N-Candy Aprium® is Prunus armeniaca × Prunus persica and it's from the Rosaceae family. This family has over 2,500 species, including other stone fruits like nectarines, peaches, cherries, and almonds. Rosaceae species can be categorized as drupes, pomes, achenes, drupelets, or follicles. Apuims are classified as drupes. Apiums are a hybrid fruit that’s made up of 75% apricot and 25% plum. Considered to be an early-ripening fruit, it grows on a compact tree reaching two meters in height. Cot-n-Candy Aprium® is a freestone fruit, which means that its hard pit will easily separate from the surrounding pulp when ripe. The hybridization process used to create Apiums required the use of pollen from one plant to fertilize the other, causing a new variety to be created. Apiums are a climacteric fruit, meaning that they continue ripening after they’re picked. Other varieties of Apium include the Flavor Delight, Leah-Cot, Summer Delight, and Flavorella.
Nutritional Value
Cot-N-Candy Aprium® is a significant source of vitamins A and C, which may help maintain healthy vision, immune and skin health, and collagen production. It contains an antioxidant called beta-carotene that can help combat cell damage and protect against chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. Cot-N-Candy Aprium® contains fiber that encourages healthy digestion and increases feelings of fullness, reducing the urge to overeat. It contains calcium and phosphorus, nutrients that strengthen bones and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Cot-N-Candy Aprium® has potassium, which may help with blood pressure regulation, electrolyte levels, and muscle and nerve function.
Applications
Cot-N-Candy Aprium® may be consumed fresh or cooked. It can be eaten fresh out-of-hand or sliced into salads, used as a topping for yogurt or cereal, or placed on desserts like tarts, cakes, and ice cream. Cot-N-Candy Aprium® can be preserved in jams, jellies, or compotes, canned, or used to make a fruity sauce for pouring over waffles and pancakes. It can be used in baked goods like cobbler, pie, and bread or blended into smoothies or juice. Cot-N-Candy Aprium® pairs well with arugula, shallots, fennel, pistachios, almonds, white balsamic vinegar, honey, berries, and mild cheeses like ricotta, brie, and mascarpone. It will keep for 2 to 4 days when stored at room temperature and once ripe, should be stored in the refrigerator where it will keep for an additional 1 to 2 days.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
The Aprium species was developed in the 1980s by Floyd Zaiger of Zaiger Genetics, a family-owned breeding company that has patented 446 hand-pollinated plant varieties. They use natural cross-breeding techniques to create new hybrids with distinct flavors and textures. The Cot-N-Candy Aprium® was first developed in 1998 when it was grown from seed and collected from open-pollinated apricot selections from the company’s interspecific seedlings. The seedling that exhibited desirable fruit was then selected for additional propagation. The Cot-N-Candy Aprium® is just one of the many new hybrids known as interspecific varieties, which are fruits naturally cross-bred from two or more species. Developing these hybrids can take many years or generations. In addition to the Cot-N-Candy Aprium®, Zaiger Genetics has also released many well-known interspecific species, including the Pluot®, NectaPlum®, and Peacotum®.
Geography/History
Cot-n-Candy Aprium® is native to Modesto, California where it was developed by Zaiger Genetics in the late 1990s. It grows best in warm climates with full sun exposure featuring dry summers and mild, wet winters. As a hybrid breed, Cot-n-Candy Aprium® is not found growing in the wild and is instead grown commercially or sold to home gardeners as seeds. After the first successful seedling was developed, the Cot-n-Candy Aprium® variety grew in popularity when it was released to select growers in the mid-2000s. A relatively rare fruit, Cot-N-Candy Aprium® may be occasionally found at farmers' markets and specialty stores during its peak season. It's more common to find it in seed form at nurseries or for purchase online. Cot-N-Candy Aprium® is more likely to be grown in gardens within the United States, particularly in California’s Central Valley. It's occasionally grown in similar climates of Australia and the Mediterranean.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Cot-N-Candy Aprium®. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Kitchen Confidante |
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Candy Apricot Cream Tartlets |
| Harvest To Table |
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Aprium Peach Cobbler |
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