Apricots: Everything in One Place

A new book that brings science, breeders' stories, and real garden practice together in 294 pages

The apricot is one of the most rewarding, yet most demanding fruit trees you can have in a garden. It blossoms early, which puts it at the mercy of spring frosts. It's sensitive to disease and to exactly where you plant it. But when it does well, it rewards you with a harvest you simply can't buy in a store — because a tree-ripened apricot and a supermarket apricot are two entirely different things.

That's exactly what the new book Apricots: Everything in One Place is about — and much more. It has just landed in our shop. This isn't another generic guide to fruit trees. The author, Dr. et Dr. Matej Prokop, PhD., built it on dozens of scientific studies, and its scientific accuracy was reviewed by prof. PaedDr. Pavol Prokop, DrSc. The result is a comprehensive guide that follows the apricot's entire journey — from choosing the right variety to the last jar of compote you open in winter.

294
pages
22
chapters
45
varieties in the catalog

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Nine parts, one journey

The book is organized into nine parts and twenty-two chapters that build on each other naturally. Rather than offering only recipes or only dry botany, it weaves the two together — in a way you won't have seen on the market before.

Parts I – III: Origins and understanding
Where the apricot comes from, how it's built, and why its family tree hides a mysterious dark-fruited relative — the so-called black apricot. This section also covers how an apricot orchard is established and what a young tree really needs in its first years.
Parts IV – V: Health, and one big myth
What apricots actually do inside the body, and why they're called a summer superfood. A dedicated chapter also tackles the pit and kernel — a topic where superfood advocates and toxicologists disagree sharply. The book handles it factually, grounded in biochemical research.
Parts VI – VIII: Flavor, harvest, and processing
Why some apricots taste noticeably better than others, and how proper freezing, drying, and canning affect both flavor and the fruit's valuable compounds — including a method the book calls "the no-cook revolution." The final chapter of this section shows that almost nothing from an apricot needs to go to waste.
Part IX: An appendix that's a book within the book
Over a third of the book is a substantial appendix — profiles of the breeders behind today's varieties, and a catalog of 45 varieties from four countries of origin, with data on hardiness, pollination, harvest timing, and flavor.

A catalog that speaks in numbers

The variety catalog in the appendix isn't just a list of names. For many of the 45 varieties, you'll find real data on fruit composition — often drawn directly from the scientific studies the book cites. As a sample, here's a comparison of antioxidant content in a few cold-climate varieties against a typical store-bought apricot.

'Dimaija' 2,795.3 mg/100 g
 
'Gundega' 1,843.2 mg/100 g
 
'Velta' 1,566.3 mg/100 g
 
Typical store-bought apricot 582.0 mg/100 g
 

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Total phenolic content in dry matter, scale 0–3,000 mg GAE/100 g. Source: study cited in the book (Juhnevica-Radenkova et al., 2024).

The book goes into similar depth on sugar content, acidity, cold hardiness, and pollination requirements — for every variety in the catalog.

Who this book is for
  • Apricot tree owners who want to truly understand their tree
  • Anyone still choosing their first sapling
  • Gardeners with a generous harvest looking for a proven way to process it
  • Anyone curious about what's actually going on inside the fruit
What you won't find in this book

Apricots: Everything in One Place is not a glossy cookbook or a simplified pamphlet. Every claim in it is grounded in cited scientific literature, and its content was peer-reviewed. If you're after a quick guide full of recipe photos, this isn't the book. If you want to understand why your apricot tree does what it does, you're in the right place.

The book was published as an electronic publication (PDF), first edition, ISBN 978-80-975423-0-6, and is available in our shop.

Apricots: Everything in One Place

Add this book to your library and get to know the apricot down to the last detail — from genetics to the jar of compote on your shelf.

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The download link will be available once your order has been paid for.