Apricot vs. Peach: Differences Between Apricots and Peaches

Apricots are the fruit from the Prunus armeniaca tree. Apricots are orange with velvety skin and contain an inner flesh with a sweet and tart flavor.

Peaches are a type of juicy stone fruit that grows on deciduous peach trees (Prunus persica) native to northwest China. Peaches have a thin, fuzzy skin, and the fruit, which is commonly white or yellow, surrounds a hard pit.

Peaches and apricots are types of stone fruit species from the genus Prunus within the rose family of plants. This genus of trees includes cherries, plums, and almonds. They have similar flavors and form, and both are ripe in the summertime, but they have distinctive qualities that you can use to tell them apart:

• Appearance: An apricot is usually about a quarter of the size of a peach, and the apricot seed is much smaller than a peach seed. Apricots have smooth skin, and peaches feature a fine layer of fuzz. Apricots are also a single orange or yellow color, whereas peaches range from pale white to yellow to a deep red, sometimes with multiple colors on the same piece of fruit.
• Texture: When biting into a peach, if it is at peak ripeness, you will notice how juicy and soft the flesh is. This is due to the higher water content of peaches. Peaches are packed with flavor and are usually much sweeter than apricots.
• Flavor: The main difference between the two fruits’ flavors is that apricots are milder with a tartness that peaches lack. With their superior sweetness, peaches are more popular to eat as fresh fruit, while apricots are more versatile for use in baked goods or preserved in jams, jellies, and spreads. However, you can consume both as dried fruits or use them to flavor ice cream.
• Health benefits: Both peaches and apricots contain healthful vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Peaches contain vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, potassium, and manganese. Apricots contain the same vitamins, plus potassium. They also are good sources of lutein, beta carotene, and zeaxanthin.

Peacotums are a hybrid fruit that combines the genetics of peaches, plums, and apricots. Peacotums are noted for juiciness reminiscent of peaches, and feature a flavor profile similar to plums.

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