Find out how to properly dry apricots for future use. The article will describe exact instructions on how to dry them using an electric dryer, microwave, oven, or convection oven.
Dried apricots retain more useful components than jam, jam, and compotes made from the same fruits. Indeed, under the influence of high temperatures during the processing of sweet fruits, almost 37% of vitamins and 28% of minerals are lost.
That is why housewives try to prepare as many tasty, aromatic, dried apricots as possible for the cold season. In addition, drying is not such a costly method of harvesting fruit. Now we will learn in detail about what drying methods there are, and how to properly follow the sequence in this process so that apricots are stored for as long as possible.
How to dry apricots for the winter using dried apricots at home?
Drying apricots varies. As a result, you can get apricots or dried apricots. Apricots are usually dried using a simple, effective method - directly on the trees. More precisely, apricot fruits are simply not picked from the trees, but are waited until they dry out on their own. Only after this the harvest is harvested.
Dried apricots for the winter
Dried apricots are dried “artificially”. Before drying, the fruits are first divided into two halves, pitted, and then only dried. Moreover, it is better not to use wild apricot varieties for this process. Cultivated varieties are suitable. It’s good if they are large apricots with fleshy pulp.
Healthy apricot dried apricots - how to dry?
Cooking dried apricots for the winter:
- Select clean, unaffected, slightly unripe, hard fruits
- Wash them well. Divide into halves and remove pits from apricots.
- Place the cooked, peeled fruits in a colander, hold them over steam for 12-15 minutes. This is done so that the dried apricots do not acquire a dark shade in the future.
- Afterwards, the apricots should dry slightly in a colander.
- Place the processed fruits on a tray and refrigerate for two to three hours.
- Then dry the dried apricots in the sun. It will take a lot of time to dry - about two to three weeks.
Naturally dried dried apricots
IMPORTANT : When you select apricot pits, do not throw them away. After all, from these seeds you can extract kernels that contain many useful substances. In addition, they are used in the confectionery industry for dusting cakes, etc.
Video: useful drying tips from a practitioner
Dried apricots will help support your immune system in winter. Dried apricots at home are tasty and, most importantly, natural. It does not need to be washed before use. The product is suitable for feeding adults, children, as well as pregnant and lactating women.
- Author: Anastasia Lazareva
Linguist. Translator. I speak English and German, I teach languages to children. Rate this article:
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How to properly dry apricots for dried fruits in the sun?
If dried fruits are dried correctly, they will be stored for a long time and supply your body with useful vitamins all winter.
How to dry dried fruits in the sun?
- Remove spoiled, soft fruits from the total apricot mass.
- Be patient and remove the pits from any remaining usable fruit.
- Again, place them in portions in a colander and hold them over a saucepan steaming with boiling water, or dip them for a few seconds in a solution of water and lemon (for one liter of water, 2 level teaspoons of citric acid)
- Then leave them in a colander for twenty minutes to let the water drain.
- Place the wedges on the rack, cut side up
- Place in a cool, well-ventilated area for 1.5-2.5 hours
- Then take it out into the sun. Let it dry all day. If it rains, bring it indoors
- They need to dry in the sun for at least six days
- The rest of the time, the apricots are dried in a cool, ventilated place.
- Fruits that do not stick to the fingers and are completely dry are considered dried.
How can you dry apricots in the sun yourself?
Selection and preparation of raw materials
Small and overripe fruits with a loose, fibrous, watery, or too delicate structure are not suitable for drying. Visually choosing the most successful varieties (for example, “Magic”, “Kolkhoznye”, “Red Partisan”, “Sirena”, etc.) is not so easy. It is important that the apricots are firm, preferably with orange-red skin.
Moderately ripe fruits can be easily broken by hand, the stone is easily separated without damaging the pulp
When purchasing at the market or in a store, if possible, raw materials should be tested for the presence of harmful substances using a nitrate meter.
The preparation is simple and essentially the same for all drying methods. Fruits need to be washed, discarding specimens with dents, rotten areas, or damaged by caterpillars. Sometimes, before drying, apricots are soaked for 5-10 minutes in water with the addition of citric acid or lemon juice (0.5-1 teaspoon of acid per 1 liter of water) to preserve color.
Depending on the purpose of the preparation, the bone is removed or left. There is no need to remove the skin. Experienced housewives know that at home drying whole apricots, including the pit, is quite difficult - it will take a lot of time. To speed up the process, it is more practical to cut them into halves or quarters.
How to dry apricots in the oven?
If you have a spacious oven, then drying apricots in it will not be difficult.
How to properly dry apricots in the oven?
To do this you will need:
- Again, sort the fruits and separate them from the seeds
- Place on racks or sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Turn on the oven and place these sheets there. The temperature inside the oven should be 40-55 degrees
- For some time, bring the temperature in the oven to 60-70 degrees
- Fruits must be turned over periodically to ensure even drying.
- Approximate drying time in this mode is 11-12 hours
- To determine the readiness of dried apricots, press on it; if the juice does not come out of the fruit and it does not stick to your fingers, then the apricots are already dried
Drying apricot fruits in an electric oven
IMPORTANT : Make sure that the temperature in the oven does not exceed the set temperature, otherwise they may simply fry.
What is dried apricots? Purpose
Dried apricots are a storehouse of vitamins and microelements (A1, B1, B2, C, PP, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, etc.). This fruit is made from apricots. Just don’t confuse it with apricots and kaisa. They are made from whole apricots, with or without pits. These are also healthy dried fruits. And yet, we can say that dried apricots are dried apricots.
It is made from seedless fruits. However, it is necessary to know the variety from which this product is made. For example, wild apricot with small fruits is not suitable.
Doctors recommend eating dried apricots daily in an amount of about 5 pieces. If you regularly eat dried fruits, you can protect yourself from heart attack or stroke. Dried apricots are used as part of a diet, and are also used in cosmetology - they make masks for both the face and hair.
There are more minerals in dried fruits than vitamins. It is their consumption that keeps the body in good shape. If you don’t like dried apricots in their pure form, then you can add them to dessert. They add piquancy and unique taste to the dish.
At what temperature should you dry apricots?
As mentioned above, at first drying takes place at a low temperature, about 50 degrees, so that the entire surface of the fruit does not bake immediately. And then gradually bring it to 65 degrees. This is the optimal mode for drying fruits, in this case apricot.
What temperature should be to properly dry apricots?
Pumping up biceps with dumbbells
We take the starting position: stand straight, legs shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, back straight, pelvis moved slightly forward. We take a dumbbell at the optimal weight (3-4 kg) in each hand. Take turns bending your arms at the elbows, as indicated in the picture, while making sure that the forearm remains motionless.
4 sets of 15 times each arm (30 reps)
For this exercise you will need a fitball. We take a position parallel to the floor, as in the previous exercise, only our knees are on the fitble. Next, roll the fitball, walking your hands forward, then back. This exercise helps engage your core, forearm, shoulders, biceps and triceps.
4 sets of 15 reps
Now let's get to work!
How to dry apricots for the winter in an electric dryer?
Drying fruits in an electric dryer is a pleasure; you don’t need to carry the fruits back and forth in the sun, and dust won’t settle on them. Also, if you do not live in your own house, but in an apartment, then a household dryer is indispensable for preparing vitamin-rich, healthy dried apricots.
How to properly dry apricot fruits in a dryer?
How to dry apricots in a dryer, read on:
- Start by sorting the washed fruits and separating the seeds from them.
- Keep them in a solution of water and lemon so that in the future they do not darken, but are amber in color.
- Let dry on gauze
- Place on racks
- Place in the dryer
- For the first two or three hours, set the drying mode to 50 degrees, then for eight hours - 60 degrees, then again to 50 - for two hours
Drying apricots in an electric dryer
IMPORTANT : If the finished dried apricots, immersed in water, tend to swell, then they are of good quality.
How to dry apricots in an air fryer?
It is more convenient to dry fruits on air fryer racks. To do this, you need to lay them out evenly on them and start the device. For apricots, it is better to use medium speed, a temperature no higher than 120 degrees, then drying will take from 20 to 30 minutes.
Drying fruits in an air fryer
IMPORTANT : If the air temperature in the convection oven is above 120 degrees, the apricots will become dark and they will practically lose their beneficial properties.
How to dry apricots in the microwave?
The process of drying fruits in a microwave oven is not difficult, but it does require attention. After all, in a very short time, apricot halves can simply turn into burnt crackers. Microwaves dry any fruit very quickly.
For apricots, it is better to set the power to no more than three hundred watts and the time to about two minutes. Then check the readiness of the dried apricots. If the fruit is not yet dried, then increase the time by another thirty seconds and gradually increase the apricot until the apricot is fully cooked.
Drying apricots in the microwave
How to dry apricot kernels?
To be more precise, it is not the apricot seeds that need to be dried, but the kernels. To do this, free them from their durable shell. Dry in the oven at low temperature or simply fry in a frying pan. Checking readiness periodically.
How to dry apricot pits?
Apricot kernels contain fatty acids, protein, carbohydrates, and a lot of vitamin E. However, you cannot eat more than 40 of these kernels in one sitting. They contain hydrocyanic acid (amygdalin). Please note that different varieties of apricot have different levels of this poison. Therefore, control your appetite and do not overeat.
How to split apricot pits?
Now you have learned how you can make dried apricots yourself in various ways. Another important thing: to preserve the finished dried apricots, you need to place them in fabric bags, and then in a wooden, glass container with a lid. Just don’t put them in containers made of coniferous trees, otherwise the dried apricots will absorb the aroma and become not so tasty.
Places of growth
Apricot is a heat-loving crop that grows mainly in the south. But now breeders are developing new apricot varieties that are more resistant to the cool northern climate. In warm climates, apricots grow for a very long time, they begin to bear fruit in 3 or 5 years, and this continues up to 50 years.
Cultivated varieties of apricots adapted to northern conditions can withstand temperatures down to -25 degrees. They tolerate drought well due to their developed root system and grow well in regions with arid climates.
In Russia, apricots are grown in the Caucasus region and southern regions. Under natural conditions, the plant is resistant to diseases and can withstand severe weather disasters.
Siberian and Manchurian apricots are also found. These are the most frost-resistant varieties. Manchurian is distinguished by its juicy fruits, which are used by humans.
Since ancient times, apricot has been cultivated in Armenia and is considered one of the symbols of the republic. In Central Asia it grows in all regions. This is one of the income sources of these countries. Fresh Central Asian fruits are supplied to many countries around the world. They have excellent taste.
