Apricot juices

Juices pressed from apricots (Prunus armeniaca) — typically thick, pulpy and deep orange rather than clear, owing to the fruit’s soft flesh and pectin. They are usually diluted with water for beverages or fermented into fruit wines and brandies. The rich beta-carotene content demands protection from enzymatic browning and oxidation during processing: rapid heating, deaeration and ascorbic acid addition hold the colour. Like other stone-fruit juices they are checked for patulin and pesticide residues, and aseptic packing gives ambient shelf life. Nectars — juice diluted with water and sweetener — are the commonest retail format.