Everything you need to know about apricots

Britain is seeing more home grown apricots than ever before, and sooner than ever before, thanks to a winning combination of wind and rain this year, as well as the recent heat wave.

First introduced to the UK around 2005, commercial production only really picked up in 2012 when around 40 tonnes were harvested. This year, 250 tonnes are expected to hit supermarket shelves and could last until around mid-September. This means that the UK is likely to be one of the only countries in the world where apricots are still available at this time of year.

But which variety is the tastiest, how do you know when an apricot is perfectly ripe, and how do you grow it at home? We asked the experts.

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"The variety to watch out for initially is Mediva - they are gloriously good,” David Josephs, owner of St Johns Wood, told The Independent. Later in the month, you can expect Faralia, Fartoli and Farbela varieties. Judging whether an English apricot is ripe and ready to eat will depend on a few factors, he says. “The skin should be 50% red blush and 50% orange tint,” he says. "The smell will smell citrusy, sweet and sour. If they don't have that, then their sugars aren't developed enough. The apricot should also be dense and firm, but never crunchy!

Of course, you can't beat an apricot fresh off the tree, but Jospehs adds, "I love making a simple tomato salad, from the oven -roasted apricots, mozzarella and fresh basil, with a few drizzles of 12 year old balsamic vinegar. think apricots for breakfast are a great start to the day. "I serve them so simply, just cut them into wedges and place them in a bowl with fresh ricotta...