Longing for the Taste of Apricots of Yesteryear

Wonderful article on apricots I caught by accident while in Irvine on business (“The Quest for ‘Cots,” June 7). I grew up in the Sacramento Valley on a ranch, picked and cut ‘cots. You’re right about the flavorless fruit that is around today.

We bought two lugs last year just off I-5 at Hahn Road (north of the I-505/I-5 junction), variety unknown. Looked great, even smelled pretty good. But not worth the calories. In the old days (1950s), we had Blenheims and Royals, and I agree on the flavor, even better with a little orchard dirt.

But you left out one of my favorites of the time, the Tilton. Actually as a kid getting paid 25 cents a bucket or 35 cents to cut a box, Tiltons were my favorite. Big enough to fill a bucket fast, good enough to eat occasionally, and the horses on the wagon teams that picked up boxes of full fruit loved them (they got the ones that fell on the ground if someone would pick them up for them.)

When we started our family in the Silicon Valley, we planted an apricot tree which grew like crazy and bore wonderful fruit. Now we live across town on adobe so hard you simply can’t grow fruit trees . . . wonderful oaks, but no fruit. Well, at least we’re not trying to grow tasteless fruit.

TOM TISCH

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