Dried apricots are the halved and pitted fruit of the apricot tree (Prunus armeniaca) from which the greater portion of moisture has been removed. Before packing, the dried fruit is processed to cleanse the fruit and may be sulfured sufficiently to retain a characteristic color.
Grades of Dried Apricots
- U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy dried apricots possess similar varietal characteristics; and possess a practically uniform, bright typical color, characteristic of well-matured apricots. The fruit may possess pale yellow areas around the stem end that do not exceed an area equivalent to one eighth of the outer surface side of the unit; not more than 5 percent, by weight, of the fruit may be of a color described in U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice, but none of the fruit may be of a color described in U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard.
a. Not more than a total tolerance of 10 percent, by weight, may be slabs, immature, or may possess pits or pieces of pits; may be damaged by discoloration, sunburn, hail marks, scab, disease, insect injury, or other similar defects; or may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: Provided, that, not more than two-fifths of the total tolerance, or 4 percent, by weight, may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not more than one-tenth of the total tolerance, or 1 percent, by weight, may be affected by decay.
- U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice dried apricots possess similar varietal characteristics; and possess a reasonably uniform, bright typical color, characteristic of reasonably well-matured apricots. The fruit may possess pale yellow areas around the stem end that do not exceed an area equivalent to one-fourth of the outer surface side of the unit; not more than 10 percent, by weight, of the fruit may be of a color described in U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard, but none of the units may possess light green areas that exceed an area equivalent to one-fourth of the outer surface side of the unit.
a. Not more than a total tolerance of 15 percent, by weight, may be slabs, immature, or may possess pits or pieces of pits; may be damaged by discoloration, sunburn, hail marks, scab, disease, insect injury, or other similar defects; or may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: Provided, that, not more than one-third of the total tolerance, or 5 percent, by weight, may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not more than one-fifteenth of the total tolerance, or 1 percent, by weight, may be affected by decay.
- U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard dried apricots possess similar varietal characteristics; and possess a fairly uniform typical color, characteristic of fairly well-matured apricots. The fruit may be pale yellow in color and may possess light green areas around the stem end of the fruit that do not exceed an area equivalent to one-quarter of the outer surface side of the unit, but not more than 15 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may possess light green areas that exceed an area equivalent to one-quarter of the outer surface side of the unit.
a. Not more than a total tolerance of 20 percent, by weight, of the fruit may be slabs, immature, or possess pits or pieces of pits; may be damaged by discoloration, sunburn, hail marks, scab, disease, insect injury, or other similar defects; or may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: Provided, that, not more than one-fourth of the total tolerance, or 5 percent, by weight, may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not more than one-tenth of the total tolerance, or 2 percent, by weight, may be affected by decay.
- U.S. Grade D or Substandard dried apricots are wholesome and edible fruit that fails to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard: Provided, that, not more than 20 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be slabs; and not more than 5 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not more than 2 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be affected by decay.
- U.S. Grade A (Slabs) or U.S. Fancy (Slabs) dried apricots meet the requirements of U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy, except that there is no limit to the percentage of slabs.
- U.S. Grade B (Slabs) or U.S. Choice (Slabs) dried apricots meet the requirements of U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice, except that there is no limit to the percentage of slabs.
- U.S. Grade C (Slabs) or U.S. Standard (Slabs) dried apricots meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard, except that there is no limit to the percentage of slabs.
- U.S. Grade D (Slabs) or Substandard (Slabs) dried apricots are wholesome and edible fruit that fails to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C (Slabs) or U.S. Standard (Slabs): Provided, that not more than 5 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be affected by mold, decay, insect infestation (no live insects are permitted), imbedded dirt, or other foreign material: And further provided, that, not more than 2 percent, by weight, of the total fruit may be affected by decay.
Detailed standards, Inspection Instructions & Other Resources: