Apricots are a favorite warm-season stone fruit, but most people don't reach for them specifically for vitamin C. Fresh apricots actually provide a modest but useful amount — about 10 mg per 100 g, which is roughly 11% of the Daily Value in a two-fruit serving. Dried apricots, however, lose much of their vitamin C during processing, so the form you choose changes the result dramatically.
This calculator converts your serving into total vitamin C (mg), automatically adjusting for fresh, dried, canned, and other common apricot forms. You can enter grams, ounces, or whole medium apricots, and optionally customize the Daily Value reference to see what share of your target one serving covers. Whether you're planning snacks, tracking micronutrients, or comparing apricots to other fruits, this tool gives you a quick, evidence-based estimate based on USDA nutrient data.
How to Use This Tool
Using the calculator takes less than a minute. First choose the apricot form that matches what you are actually eating — fresh raw fruit, dried apricots, canned apricots in water or syrup, or apricot nectar. Next, enter a serving amount as grams, ounces, or whole medium apricots. If you prefer not to type a number, tap one of the preset serving buttons: one medium apricot, 100 g of fresh apricot, a quarter cup of dried apricots, or a cup of fresh apricot halves. The calculator converts everything to grams internally so the vitamin C estimate is consistent across units.
You can also change the Daily Value reference. The default is 90 mg, which is the current US FDA Daily Value for vitamin C used on Nutrition Facts labels. If you follow European labeling or a specific dietary target, change this number and the percent Daily Value will adjust instantly. Press Calculate to see the total vitamin C in milligrams, the share of your chosen Daily Value, and a short step-by-step breakdown of the math. Press Reset to clear the serving amount and start over.
How Vitamin C in Apricots Is Measured
Vitamin C content in produce is usually reported as milligrams per 100 grams of edible portion. The values built into this tool come from standard USDA nutrient databases: fresh raw apricots contain about 10 mg of vitamin C per 100 g; dried apricots contain roughly 0.8 mg per 100 g; canned apricots in water contain about 1.1 mg per 100 g; canned apricots in syrup contain about 0.9 mg per 100 g; and apricot nectar contains about 0.6 mg per 100 g.
Why drying matters: Vitamin C is sensitive to heat, oxygen, and light. The drying process, especially commercial sulfuring and hot-air drying, causes most of the vitamin C to break down. Dried apricots are still excellent sources of fiber, potassium, and iron, but they should not be treated as a vitamin C food.
Reference Table: Vitamin C by Apricot Form
| Apricot form | Vitamin C per 100 g | Typical serving | Vitamin C per serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh raw apricots | 10 mg | 2 medium fruits (70 g) | 7 mg |
| Dried apricots | 0.8 mg | ¼ cup (65 g) | 0.5 mg |
| Canned apricots, water pack | 1.1 mg | 1 cup halves (250 g) | 2.8 mg |
| Canned apricots, syrup pack | 0.9 mg | 1 cup halves (250 g) | 2.3 mg |
| Apricot nectar | 0.6 mg | 1 cup (250 ml) | 1.5 mg |
Serving sizes in the table are approximate; whole fruit sizes vary, and canned apricot cup weights include drained fruit. Use the calculator's fruit unit or grams for a more personalized estimate.
Worked Examples
Example 1 — Fresh apricot snack: You eat two medium apricots weighing about 70 g total. With fresh apricots at 10 mg per 100 g, the calculation is (10 × 70) ÷ 100 = 7.0 mg of vitamin C. Against a 90 mg Daily Value, that works out to about 8%.
Example 2 — Dried apricot trail mix: You add 40 g of dried apricots to a trail mix. At 0.8 mg per 100 g, the vitamin C contribution is (0.8 × 40) ÷ 100 = 0.3 mg — essentially negligible. Dried apricots bring other nutrients to the mix, but not much vitamin C.
Example 3 — Canned apricots with yogurt: A half-cup of water-pack apricot halves weighs about 125 g. At 1.1 mg per 100 g, you get (1.1 × 125) ÷ 100 = 1.4 mg. Paired with a vitamin C–rich fruit on the side, it can still round out a meal.
Tips and Practical Considerations
If your goal is to raise vitamin C intake, fresh apricots are the best apricot choice, but they are still a modest source compared with citrus, kiwi, strawberries, and peppers. A medium orange provides around 70 mg, while 100 g of kiwi provides around 92 mg. However, fresh apricots are low in calories, naturally sweet, and pair well with nuts, yogurt, and salads.
Keep the peels: Most of the vitamin C in apricots sits just under the skin. Eating apricots with the skin intact, rather than peeling them, preserves more of the nutrient. For canned apricots, choose water pack instead of heavy syrup to avoid extra added sugar without gaining meaningful vitamin C.
Don't rely on dried apricots for vitamin C. After drying, the water weight drops but so does most of the vitamin C. If a product label lists a higher number, check whether vitamin C has been added as a preservative or fortificant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much vitamin C is in one apricot?
A medium fresh apricot weighs about 35 g and provides roughly 3.5 mg of vitamin C, or about 4% of the Daily Value. Two medium apricots provide about 7 mg. Dried or canned apricots per piece are much lower because the vitamin C is degraded during processing.
Can apricots help me reach my daily vitamin C target?
They can contribute, but you would need a lot of fresh apricots. Five medium apricots (175 g) provide about 17.5 mg, about 19% of a 90 mg target. For a more concentrated boost, combine apricots with kiwi, citrus, or bell peppers. You can compare other fruits with our celery vitamin C calculator or cranberry vitamin C calculator to see how different produce items compare.