Australian aboriginals used apricots as an aphrodisiac. The apricot’s pit, or kernel, was steeped as a tea. The flesh of the fruit was crushed and rubbed on the suitor’s erogenous zones as a pre-coital perfume.

And while it is not entirely clear why ancient peoples first elevated apricots to their mythical status, today we know that these seductively soft little fruits are packed with beauty-enhancing nutrients. A single serving of fresh apricots provides over 50% of your daily intake of beta-carotene - a potent antioxidant. They are also a good source of iron, a key nutrient for fertility in women.

Apricots do have one rather sad, anti-aphrodisiac use: an old practice of Middle Eastern camel herders was to block the uterus of the female camels with an apricot kernel to prevent pregnancy.
 
Although their growing season is short, apricots are a golden symbol of summer as the first of the stone fruits to ripen. Pureed, fresh apricots can make an excellent fat-free substitute for oil or butter in moist cookies and cakes. Pound cake may take on a new meaning.