Why Are My Stored Apricots Going Mouldy Quickly?

Apricots are among the most perishable of tree fruits and do not store well under any circumstances — this is simply their nature as a soft stone fruit. However, there is a significant difference between a healthy apricot that lasts three to five days at room temperature and one that develops brown rot within 24 hours of picking. When spoilage is unusually rapid and widespread, the fruit was usually already compromised before picking — by brown rot infection, skin damage, or harvesting when wet.

Latent brown rot infection

Brown rot (Monilinia laxa) can infect fruit before any visible symptoms appear on the tree. The fruit may look clean and healthy at harvest but collapse with brown rot within one or two days because infection was already established inside. This latent infection enters through microscopic skin wounds, wasp damage, insect entry points, and cracked skin from fruit cracking (see the cracking guide). Managing brown rot at tree level — removing mummies, applying copper at blossom — is the only way to reduce this problem at source.

Harvesting when wet

Never harvest apricots when the fruit is wet — after rain, heavy dew, or irrigation splash. Wet skin at harvest is a direct entry point for fungal spores that will colonise the fruit during storage. Allow the fruit to dry fully (at least a few hours of dry weather) before picking. This single practice significantly extends storage life.

Handling damage

Apricot skin is delicate and bruises easily. Any bruise or pressure damage immediately provides an infection site. Handle fruit gently, harvest into shallow trays lined with newspaper or cloth, and never stack harvested apricots more than two layers deep. Any fruit that shows a skin crack, wasp damage, or bruise should be used immediately rather than stored.

Storage conditions

Store apricots at 1–3°C (refrigerator temperature) in a single layer on a cloth or paper-lined tray. Even at refrigerator temperature, expect a storage life of only three to five days for undamaged fruit. Apricots placed in sealed bags or airtight containers deteriorate rapidly — they need air circulation. Freeze damaged or surplus fruit whole or pureed for longer-term preservation.