Fruit
Blenheim
S tier
Blenheim (also sold as Royal) is a California heirloom apricot with small-to-medium fruit, deep orange freestone flesh, and intense honey-floral flavour that dries into exceptional sweet-tart halves. Fresh fruit is aromatic but soft and bruise-prone; it never matched modern shippers for supermarket hardness. Orchardists and dry-yard operators still chase Blenheim character above sheer size. Peak for sun-drying, premium dried packs, and jam that tastes like real apricot rather than candy. Fresh local fruit in a short Central Valley window is worth seeking. Not the right pick if you need week-long cold storage after soft ripeness.
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Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Blenheim-related apricot lines were known in European collections before California fame.
California plantings of Blenheim/Royal types founded a premier drying industry.
Santa Clara and other districts built reputations on Blenheim dried apricots.
Urbanisation and shipper cultivars reduced Blenheim acreage while devotees preserved trees.