Methods for preparing apricots for the winter

Apricot is a healthy and nutritious fruit that saturates the body with all essential microelements. But how long to keep it if juicy pulp quickly deteriorate and disappear? To do this, they learned to preserve the fruits and make dried apricots, which are not inferior in quality to fresh ones.

There are several names for the dried fruit. Depending on the method of its preparation, the following varieties are distinguished:

Uryuk is the name given to dried apricots with pits. Dry naturally.
Dried apricots are called dried apricots without pits. Ripe fruits cut into two parts, remove the pit and dry in hot weather in the shade. To obtain a marketable appearance, sulfur dioxide is used; without it, dried apricots will be pale brown.
Kaisa is a whole dried apricot fruit without a pit; it is carefully taken out through the stalk.
Shepta - the apricot is not picked from the branch, but dried directly on it. The result is a dried product.
Ashtak is a dried apricot that is different from all the others. The seed is carefully removed, the kernel is taken out, at this time the fruit is dried, then the kernel is inserted into it.

Any apricot drying process takes time and is very labor-intensive. Each fruit must be turned over in a timely manner, and the temperature must be monitored to prevent mold from forming. But finished product very unusual, healthy and tasty, so it’s worth the expense.

How to dry an apricot

The consumer does not see the difference between dried apricots and dried apricots. In fact, the difference between them is not only in the method of preparation, but also in taste.

How to dry apricots

This does not require any devices or special electric dryers. It is enough to prepare the wooden flooring and cover it natural fabric or a newspaper. The fruits are laid out on the surface and wait until they dry. in a natural way. The moisture from the pulp gradually evaporates and the fruit takes on a wrinkled appearance.

Important! Apricots should not be dried in direct sunlight at lunchtime; it is better to place them in the shade so that the fruits do not “burn.” Best time– morning and afternoon.

If you don’t have a lot of time to pick the fruits, then you can leave them on the branches and wait until they wither naturally to become Sheptala, then collect and store in plastic bag.

How to dry dried apricots

On store shelves, dried apricots look very appetizing, as they have a delicate orange color with a shine. This way it is obtained as a result of treatment with a special sulfur composition, which is very harmful to the body. Dried apricots prepared at home have Brown color no shine.

Important! When you buy a processed product on the market, you bring home a threat to the health of your loved ones, especially children.

How to cook dried apricots at home natural conditions:

Sort through the apricot fruits, remove spoiled, rotten, unripe, or damaged by pests.
Rinse several times under running water.
Divide each fruit into two halves and remove the pit.

Dry on prepared trays, stirring from time to time for uniform drying.

Interesting! From 5 kg of fresh apricot you get 1 kg of dried apricots.

IN production conditions, after preparing the fruit, dividing it into halves and removing the pit, the apricot is immersed in boiling water for 2 minutes. Then they are laid out on the surface and fumigated with sulfur dioxide.

What does it give:

bacteria, mold, fungi are destroyed;
imparts a commercial orange color;
the product's shelf life is extended.

Then the dried apricots are dried in the open air, or in a special oven in which the temperature is maintained at 50-60 C, air circulation occurs.

Interesting! At home, dried apricots take up to 7 days to prepare, in industrial conditions – 18 hours.

Some conscientious producers do not fumigate apricots with sulfur; they appear to have a gray-yellow or brown tint without shine. This product is safe for health and will not harm the body (sulfur can accumulate, which is fraught with consequences).

The most useful dried fruit- this is an apricot. Ease of preparation allows you to preserve the maximum amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Despite the fact that there are more of them in fresh apricots, dried ones also contain micro- and macroelements in sufficient quantities.

Nutritional value per 100 g:

proteins 0.9 g;
fats 0.1 g;
carbohydrates 9 g;
dietary fiber 2.1 g;
water 86.2 g.

Energy value 44 kcal.

Important! The calorie content of 100 g of dried apricots is 215 calories.

When consuming 100 g of the product, the body receives:

potassium 305 mg;
calcium 28 mg;
phosphorus 26 mg;
magnesium 8 mg;
silicon 5 mg;
sodium 3 mg.

In winter, prepared fruit is a way to completely replenish the body, give strength, and satisfy hunger.

Benefits for children

IN fresh You can start giving apricot from one year old, half a teaspoon. If no allergic reaction is observed, increase to 50 g. In dried form, you can cook compote (300 g of dried apricots in 2.5 liters of water, cook for 7-10 minutes), which helps cope with colds, strengthens the immune system, improves gastrointestinal function. intestinal tract.

For children over 3 years old, dried apricot can be given instead of sweets, chocolate or caramel; it will be much healthier.

Benefit for adults

The beneficial properties of dried fruits are obvious for men and women. Fruits can enhance male potency and libido due to the large amount of magnesium and potassium in it.

vitamin A – improves vision;
iron – prevention of anemia, compensates for the lack of iron in the body;
fiber – prevents the formation of constipation, improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
potassium, magnesium – normalizes heart function and vascular systems s;
fruit acids – have a beneficial effect on the skin, making it elastic and fresh.

Is there any harm? The only contraindication for use is an allergy to apricot. People suffering from diabetes should eat dried apricots with caution. Although it can replace sweets, it a large number of Sugar content, when consumed in large quantities, can negatively affect health.

Important! Dried apricots, apricots and kaisa lower blood pressure, so they are contraindicated for hypotensive patients, but recommended for hypertensive patients.

How to store dried apricot

Storage methods depend on the amount of dried fruit. If purchased a small amount of in the store, you can store it in glassware or in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

To store large quantities of dried apricot fruits, it is recommended to follow certain rules:

there should be no access to air in the container;
keep the room dry and ventilated to prevent the formation of mold;
air temperature – 10-12 C;
exposure to direct sunlight is contraindicated.

If the conditions are met, the shelf life of dried fruits is 1 year.

When choosing a product on the market, pay attention in the store appearance fruit. Bright, rich colors indicate thermal and chemical treatment. Dried apricots, kaisa, ashtak should be of a natural brownish tint. Free from insect damage, diaper rash and rot, such dried fruits are not suitable for consumption and are hazardous to health.

In China (in its historical homeland), apricots have been grown for more than five thousand years, in Europe - about two thousand. Dried apricots Without seeds they are called dried apricots or kaisa, with seeds they are called apricots.

Before drying, apricot pits can be removed in two ways. If you cut them in half to do this, then the dried fruit is called dried apricots, and if the seed is squeezed out without breaking the peel, you get kaisa. Uryuk are dried apricots with pits. In Asian countries, however, any varieties of fresh apricots are called apricots.

They are dried in special places in natural shade for 6-8 days. To get a kilogram of dried fruit, you need three to four kilograms of fresh apricots.

Leader in popularity on Russian market today, of course, dried apricots. There are much fewer vitamins in dried fruit than in fresh fruit, but its content minerals(potassium, copper, cobalt, manganese, iron, calcium, phosphorus and others) more than in many fruits just picked from the tree. Dried apricot contains many organic acids (nicotinic, citric, salicylic) and pectins, which are good at removing radionuclides from the body. The high content of sucrose, fructose and glucose makes dried apricots so sweet.

These dried fruits are especially useful for heart disease, anemia, poor vision, and as a general tonic. They help eliminate blockages in blood vessels, rejuvenate the skin, strengthen hair, and even soften hard tumors. Plant fibers perfectly cleanse the intestines.

Dried apricot is because it contains a lot of potassium salts, which significantly exceed the level of sodium salts. Magnesium makes it useful for treating hypertension and anemia. Dried apricots contain a lot of vitamin B1,2,5; WITH; R. There is no less carotene in it than in chicken yolk.

Dried apricots are concentrated product. If in fresh apricots contains 2 grams of fiber per 100g of product, then dry - 18 grams (that is, 9 times more). Therefore, you need to consume it in reasonable quantities so as not to get intestines. You should not eat more than 80-100 grams of dried fruits per day. This amount of dried apricots, by the way, has the same effect on the process of hematopoiesis as a quarter kilogram of fresh beef liver or 40 mg of iron supplement.

In Central Asia, dried apricot is called exclusively a gift from Allah, thanks to its healing properties. It is useful for diseases nervous system, cleanses blood vessels, treats tumors, helps fight colds (has an antipyretic effect) and migraines. It has tonic properties and helps cope with chronic fatigue. It is also useful to eat for people who suffer from kidney diseases. The ability of dried apricots to improve memory and stimulate brain activity is known. The iodine included in its composition has a good lipotropic and anti-cholesterol effect.

Dried apricot is contraindicated when diabetes mellitus. You should not eat these dried fruits on an empty stomach or after difficult-to-digest foods.

When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the appearance of dried fruits. The best dried apricots- clean, large, golden, slightly transparent in appearance, medium elasticity and hardness. The color of natural dried apricots should not be bright orange: this color is achieved through dyes. Choose paler fruits that are closest in appearance to fresh fruit.

In cooking, dried apricot has received very wide use, since it is equally successfully used both in the preparation of desserts and as a original ingredient in meat dishes. Dried apricots are used to make compotes, pilaf, sauces and even soups. It gives dishes a pleasant sweetish taste and great aroma.

Dried fruits should be stored in a dry, dark place.

Spring warmth, spring mood are joy and positive emotions. But with spring comes seasonal problems: vitamin deficiency, exacerbation of chronic diseases, disruption of biological rhythms, fatigue.

To help our body cope with these problems, we need to make adjustments to our diet. For example, nutritionists insist on increasing the amount of dried fruit in the daily diet: apples, figs, apricots, pears or plums.

All these fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, but dried apricots are considered the healthiest. We will talk about them in this article.

Ancient apricot culture

Not everyone knows that this fruit has traveled thousands of years to finally end up on our table. Its wild varieties still grow today in the homeland of apricot - in the Tien Shan mountains, and the cultivated plant from Central Asia came to Iran, then to Ancient Greece and Rome.

The Byzantines considered it a healing, rejuvenating agent; Asians were sure that apricot fruits and juice prolong life. The miracle fruit was appreciated in Europe, and from the mid-17th century – in Russia.

Amazing fact: representatives of the Hunza tribe (Pakistan) all year round They eat mainly apricots. They practically do not get sick, and live on average almost 120 years.

Different kinds

We know these dried fruits under several names, so it makes sense to clarify them. The most popular name is dried apricots.

These are apricots that have been halved and pitted and dried. Dried apricots can always be recognized on the shelves by the bright, sunny color of the fruit, although this brightness is deceptive and has a chemical origin.

To obtain such beauty, apricots are pre-treated with sulfur dioxide and then dried in special cabinets or ovens. But the inconspicuous, at first glance, gray-brown dried apricots are dried naturally, so it is not as beautiful, but brings more benefits.

Another type of dried pitted apricots is called kaisa. Before drying, the fruit is not divided into halves, it is slightly dried, and then the seed is squeezed out through a small hole near the stalk and the kaisa is dried.

Uryuk is the favorite type of dried fruit of all residents of Central Asia. They believe that only it contains the whole palette useful substances, because apricots are obtained as a result natural drying, without removing the pit. Ripe apricots are simply left on the trees until they are completely dehydrated, and then picked.

Beneficial features

What properties have earned this fruit such popularity among different nations? It turns out that the benefits of apricots, kaisa or dried apricots are explained by both the calorie content and the mass content of the apricot itself needed by the body elements. Pay attention to this table (per 100g of product) - and you yourself will understand that it is no coincidence that this fruit is called a gift from Allah in Asia.

But even more surprising is that after drying, apricot not only does not lose its properties, but even increases them. Eating this fruit in dried form is much healthier than fresh.

Apricots, dried apricots or kaisa help in the treatment and prevention of many diseases, namely:

the presence of iron makes them useful for anemia and during pregnancy;
potassium salts help treat cardiovascular diseases;
decoctions or compotes from these dried fruits act as a diuretic and treat constipation;
A large proportion of vitamin A benefits the skin and improves our vision.

The list goes on and on, mentioning the beneficial effects of dried fruits on memory, performance, gastrointestinal function, and diabetic problems.

Note: regular use dried apricot fruit even slows down the growth of cancer cells.

Can they cause harm to health? In moderate doses there are practically no contraindications.

The only thing that should not be forgotten is the methods of drying dried apricots. Since some manufacturers do not spare chemicals, you can end up with an allergy to the chemicals.

Home drying and storage of dried apricots

To avoid problems with purchased dried apricots, you can learn how to dry apricots at home. It's not very difficult, you just need to learn a few rules:

1. The best varieties for dried fruits – these are Zeravshan and Fergana. They are quite large, meaty, dense and not particularly juicy.

2. Dried apricots are best dried in natural conditions, for this you need to choose a ventilated and unshaded place.

Gardening advice: Apricot kernels do not need to be thrown away; they can be used in confectionery when chopped.

3. If you live in an apartment, then it would be more correct to use household appliances specially designed for drying fruit.

4. The readiness of the fruit can be checked by touch. It should be dry but elastic (about 10% moisture).

5. It is best to store dried fruits in the refrigerator.

If you read this article to the end (and we hope you did), then you understand the conclusion: different kinds Dried apricot should be used not only as a delicacy, but also as a preventative, even therapeutic agent. Enjoy the taste of miracle fruits and be healthy!

Below, we invite you to watch a video about the benefits and harms of dried apricots (dried apricots):

Dried fruits contain a lot of valuable minerals, vitamins, organic acids, and dietary fiber. In winter, such a dish will strengthen the immune system in the best possible way. One of the most common types of dried fruits is dried apricots - dried apricots. The product is added to baked goods and consumed as an independent snack. Many people are interested in what benefits and harm it can bring. orange fruit? Let's talk about everything in order.

What is dried apricots

Dried apricots are dried apricots. The product is considered the most nutritious among its fellows. To prepare 150 gr. dried apricots, you need to take 500 g. fresh raw materials.
Previously, dried apricots took a long time to cook. First, the apricots were sorted, cut, and pitted. Then they were left to dry in the heat, covered with a cloth to protect them from insects.

Today, dried fruits are produced using special technology using chemical components. To make dried apricots a bright orange with a pleasant shine, you need to add sulfur dioxide to the soaking mixture.

To reduce the duration of drying, ovens and ovens are used. As mentioned earlier, to make 150 gr. dried raw materials require 0.5 kg. moderately ripe apricots.

The following types of dried fruits are distinguished:

Dried apricots are cut into 2 parts, the seeds are removed and dried.
Kaisa - from whole fruits remove the seeds special device, then dried in the sun.
Apricot - apricot is washed, prepared, dried along with the pit.

Dried fruits, in particular dried apricots, are used everywhere. Most often it is used in folk medicine, diets, culinary purposes.

Calorie content, composition, nutritional value

Dried apricots belong to the category of dried fruits; most of it is water. For 100 gr. product is 70 grams. liquids. The next leading position is occupied by carbohydrates - about 25.2 g. per 100 gr. dried apricots.
Dietary fiber, in particular fiber, is allocated about 4 grams. This amount is 1/5 of the daily requirement, which is necessary for an adult. Dried apricots contain protein (1.2 g), ash (1 g), and fats (0.16 g).
During drying, apricot loses some valuable elements, most often vitamins. However, the “strongest” remain and bear to the human body benefit.
Among the “persistent” vitamins there is retinol, or vitamin A. B 100 g. dried apricots about 108.68 mg. of this substance. Some may think that this amount is not enough. But it takes up 13% of the allowable daily value for an adult.
Also, during the drying process, B vitamins are preserved. This section includes a whole “bouquet” of irreplaceable compounds. So, pyridoxine, or vitamin B6, is given 0.14 mg. per 100 gr. (6% DV). Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is contained in an amount of 0.2 mg.
Dried apricots are also rich in riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine (vitamin B1), nicotinic acid (vitamin PP, niacin), ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
The value of dried apricots is due to the accumulation of micro- and macroelements. For 100 gr. dried dessert requires 444 mg. potassium - daily requirement. The dried fruit is rich in calcium, 15 mg, magnesium (16 mg), phosphorus (39 mg).
Dried apricots include copper (0.15 mg), which is 15% of the permissible daily value. Iron in dried fruit is 1.6 mg. (9% of the norm), manganese is allocated 0.1 mg, zinc - 0.25 mg.
A fairly large number of organic acids allows us to saturate the human body with essential compounds. As for amino acids, dried fruit contains them in abundance (isoleucine, tryptophan, threonine, lysine). In total, dried apricots contain 12 amino acids, including 7 essential ones.
Do not forget about fructose, sucrose, glucose, they account for 80% of the total volume of fruits. With such extensive indicators, the calorie content of dried apricots is considered low - 242 Kcal. per 100 gr. To provide the body with the necessary minerals, acids, vitamins, it is enough to eat 5 pieces. per day.

Dried fruits have diuretic properties. For this reason, practicing doctors prescribe people with kidney diseases to take a decoction based on dried apricots. The composition removes sand and small stones from the cavity of the internal organ, and also prevents their further deposition.
The product is used when creating menus for obese patients. Dried apricots are often consumed when following a diet, despite the added saccharides and calorie content. In this case, the daily norm is limited to 25 grams. As a result, old waste and bad cholesterol are eliminated.
Dried apricots partially thin the blood and prevent blood clots. It is useful to eat dried fruit for people with varicose veins. Incoming pectin removes heavy metals and radionuclides, dietary fiber accelerates metabolic processes.
To improve digestion, you need to eat half a meal per day. Dried fruits contain 9 times more fiber than in fresh apricots. The element controls the activity of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems.
Dried apricots contain many vitamins that increase the body's protective functions during vitamin deficiency. Dried fruits are useful for adults and children to consume to avoid infection with helminths.
The product reduces fever and helps to recover after a serious illness or surgery. Dried apricots relieve headaches and fight frequent migraines, eliminate signs of colds and flu.
Incoming carotenoids have a beneficial effect on human vision. The elements prevent the development of cataracts, lubricate the eyeball and strengthen the muscles. This property is extremely valued by people with low vision.
Dried apricots increase physical endurance, which is why dried apricots are often used in the preparation of diets for athletes. In addition, dried fruit fills voids in the bones and promotes rapid growth. muscle mass, lifts your mood and morale.
Fruits influence mental activity, so dried apricots are useful for people who work hard with their heads. Also, dried fruits of this type are included in the menu of schoolchildren and students to increase perception, memory, and concentration.
Decoctions with dried apricots remove excess liquid, thereby fighting swelling. This property is valued by people with varicose veins and pregnant girls who experience heaviness in their legs.
Dried apricots promote rapid absorption of antibiotics into the blood. If you are taking a course of medications, include dried fruit in your diet. You need to consume at least 20 grams. daily.
Dried apricots should be given to children in winter and spring. It is at these times of year that there is a deficiency of vitamins. Dried apricots will more than make up for everything and strengthen the immune system.
Dried fruits of this type have the ability to reduce arterial pressure. For this reason, dried apricots are consumed by hypertensive patients. Hypotonic patients should be careful, maximum daily amount should not exceed the 10 g mark.

Acceptable daily allowance

It should be remembered that dried apricots are highly concentrated products. It contains 2.5 times more sugar than fresh fruits. Also, if the apricot contains only 2 grams. dietary fiber, then in dried fruit this amount increases to 18 grams. The difference is significant.

An adult who has no contraindications for use should not eat more than 70 grams. dried fruits daily.

At the same time, dried apricots are added to baked goods, hot and cold appetizers, salads, meat dishes, side dishes. Dried fruits are often used to make fruit drinks and compotes, jellies, smoothies, etc.

Since the figure is 242 Kcal. per 100 gr. involves some restrictions; dieters should not consume more than 4-5 pieces. per day.

For full development, a child needs a complex of vitamins with mineral compounds, organic acids, and dietary fiber. Dried apricots include all of the listed substances.
Incoming compounds are responsible for the transformation of carbohydrates into energy, as a result of which the child is energized. Calcium forms bone and muscle tissue, magnesium supports the functioning of the heart and brain, iron increases blood circulation.
School children, preschool age and students work hard mentally. To improve thought processes and relieve nervous tension, you need to eat 10-15 grams of dried apricots daily.
Starting from six months, you can gradually introduce dried fruits into your baby’s diet. Start cooking low-concentrated compotes without sugar, then give your child 5 ml.

The benefits of dried apricots for women

Dried apricots are responsible for normalization hormonal levels in girls and women. If you eat dried fruit during menstruation, muscle spasms will disappear and hemoglobin levels will be restored.
Women during menopause need to consume dried apricots to reduce the number of hot flashes and their severity, as well as normalize the psycho-emotional background.
Dried apricots have mild laxative properties, so they are often used for weight loss. Systematic consumption will cleanse the intestines and prevent slagging.
A large concentration of “beauty vitamins” of group A and E is responsible for the health of hair, nails and skin. Dried apricots even out complexion, fight wrinkles and skin pigmentation, eliminate hair loss and dandruff.
Tocopherol (vitamin E) is considered a natural antioxidant. He has preventive properties formation of malignant tumors, and also blocks blood access to existing cancer cells.

The benefits of dried apricots for men

Dried apricots are a complete source of fiber. Alimentary fiber take responsibility for the activities of the intestinal tract. This has a beneficial effect on blood circulation in the pelvic organs.
Dried fruit is useful for men to prevent prostate diseases. Dosed consumption (about 40 grams per day) increases reproductive function and potency.
Dried apricots stimulate testicular activity, increasing the quality and quantity of sperm. As a result, hormonal levels are normalized.
Men are more likely than women to suffer from diseases of the heart and vascular systems. Dried apricots prevent possible diseases, reducing the risk of their development to a minimum.
The benefits for the stronger sex are due to increased physical endurance. Therefore, dried fruits should be eaten by people who work a lot with their hands and play sports.

On later During pregnancy, a woman often experiences an increase in blood pressure, and dried apricots reduce blood pressure levels.
Regular consumption of a decoction with the addition of dried apricots relieves swelling of internal organs, limbs and face.
Most often, women's doctors prohibit taking foods with sugar during pregnancy. But dried apricots are not included in this list.
Dried fruits stabilize the activity of the thyroid gland and the entire endocrine system, control heart rate.
Pregnant women suffer from constipation; dried apricots affect intestinal motility and have a mild laxative effect.

Harm of dried apricots

Abuse of the product may lead to dysfunction digestive tract. Diarrhea, bloating, and stomach pain will appear.
Dried apricots are contraindicated for people with chronic gastrointestinal diseases, allergies to the product, and bronchial asthma.
Diabetics are not prohibited from eating dried fruits, but the amount should be measured. You can consume 2-3 pcs per week. dried apricots.

Dried apricots will not cause harm to the human body if you use the product wisely and take into account contraindications. Add dried apricots to familiar dishes or use as a snack. Observe daily norm, enter dried fruits into children's diets.

Video: what are the benefits of dried apricots?

It's hard to find a person who doesn't like apricots. These fragrant fruits have many beneficial properties and have excellent taste. If fresh fruits can be eaten only in summer, then dried apricots are available all year round. If desired, you can prepare them yourself at home.

When drying apricots, up to 90% of the beneficial properties of the fruit are preserved. Moreover, after removing the water, these fruits become even more useful, since the content of vitamins and microelements in 100 g of products increases three times. Fragrant fruits have a rich chemical composition, are able to quickly satisfy hunger and have great taste. In order to satisfy an adult's need for potassium, iron and beta-carotene, you need to eat only 100-150 g of dried fruits per day.

Regular consumption of dried apricots helps with heart failure, reduces the risks of heart attack and stroke, maintains vascular tone, increases immunity and endurance of the body. Just a few fruits a day will help with chronic constipation and intestinal obstruction.

Due to their high iron content, dried apricots are recommended for people suffering from anemia and thyroid diseases.

But diabetics should not consume the product, since dried apricots contain a large amount of sugar. These dried fruits should not be eaten with protein foods.

Depending on the harvesting method, there are several types of dried apricot:

apricots - small whole fruits with a seed left;
kaisa - a whole apricot, from which, before drying, the pit is removed through a hole near the stalk, minimally disturbing the integrity;
dried apricots - dried apricot halves without seeds. Some experts distinguish the product from cut and broken fruits.

All of the listed types of dried fruits have almost the same composition and are useful for humans. But according to experts, apricots are more healing, as they are cooked naturally - on the tree. In order for such fruits to turn into dried fruits, they are left hanging on the branches until completely dehydrated. Uryuk is used in the treatment of thrombosis, tumor formations, migraines and colds.

Shops and markets offer a wide range of dried fruits, but you cannot be completely sure that the products are safe. Modern manufacturers, trying to give dried fruits a marketable appearance and ensure long-term preservation, use for processing chemical substances. To prevent dried apricots from losing their bright orange color when dried, they are treated with sulfur dioxide.

Although this method is allowed by technology, it is not entirely safe. If consumed, this product may cause allergic reactions and cause nervous disorders. When choosing dried apricots, you should give preference not to bright shiny specimens, but to pale yellow, dark brown or grayish ones.

To obtain environmentally friendly product, dried apricots can be prepared at home. This process is quite labor-intensive, but it produces safe and delicious dried fruits, which can be safely given to children and the sick.

For getting quality product great importance has a choice suitable variety apricots For dried apricots, large, not too juicy fruits with dense pulp and an easily separated pit are suitable. The variety must be different high content Sahara. Typically, Central Asian varieties have such characteristics, but in the middle zone you can choose suitable ones. When dried, the weight of properly selected apricots is reduced by 5-6 times.

The harvest is harvested by hand, paying attention only to fully ripened, undamaged fruits. Then the apricots are thoroughly washed in running water so that the finished dried fruits can be consumed unwashed. Excess moisture kills some of the nutrients.

The fruits are carefully divided into two halves and the pit is removed. To preserve color, apricots are pre-treated: the prepared fruit halves are placed in a colander and dipped in boiling water for a few minutes, then laid out on a clean cloth or gauze to drain off excess moisture.

There is another way to preserve the brightness of dried apricot fruits. Washed specimens are placed in the solution for 15 minutes. citric acid, prepared at the rate of one teaspoon per liter of water.

The most natural and gentle option for preparing dried apricots is drying them in natural conditions, in the sun and air. This is suitable for housewives who have a private house or cottage. You should choose a well-ventilated, unshaded place located far from the road. The weather needs to be hot and dry.

The prepared apricot slices are placed on the grill with the cuts facing up so that individual pieces do not stick to each other. The fruits are kept in the hot sun for 3-4 days, brought into the house at night and in bad weather. When the pieces reduce in size and wither, they are placed closer to each other and kept in the shade until completely dry.

The disadvantage of this method is the accessibility of dried apricots to ants and flies. To prevent crawling insects from damaging the product, apricots are placed on an elevated surface, for example, on a small table, the legs of which are immersed in water. To protect the slices from flies, cover them with a layer of gauze.

This method is suitable for those who do not have a suitable place to dry outside. Cooking dried apricots in the oven is not affected by weather conditions, and dried fruits are obtained much faster.

Preparing apricots is the same as when drying them outside. The slices treated with steam or lemon solution are placed on a baking sheet with the cuts facing up, making sure that they do not touch.

Dried apricots are ready within eight hours at a temperature of about 70 degrees. door oven must be kept slightly open. Towards the end of drying, the temperature is reduced to 40 degrees. Ready dried fruits put in wooden boxes and store for about a month in the dark at room temperature to stabilize humidity.

To help modern housewives There are many useful gadgets on offer. One such device is an electric fruit and vegetable dryer. Such devices are equipped with a powerful heater, fan, thermostat, and convenient trays. In just one day you can get a large batch of excellent dried apricots.

Features of working with the device are indicated in the instructions. Apricots for drying are prepared in the same way as when drying in the sun or in the oven. Drying time ranges from 8 to 12 hours. At the beginning and end of the process, set the temperature to 45-50 degrees, in the middle - bring it to 60.

You can determine the readiness of dried pitted apricots by the following indicators:

Dried fruits should be stored in fabric bags suspended in a ventilated area. The air temperature should not exceed 10 degrees. Also used for storage glass jars or wooden boxes. In this case, the product must be ventilated periodically.