Apricots are one of the most extraordinary fruits. Apricots are tasty and have a delicate aroma. To prolong the pleasure of apricots in the winter, they are prepared for the winter in the form of jam and compotes. But all these preparations involve adding sugar, and this is not entirely healthy for humans. Dried apricots are much more valuable.

Dried fruits without seeds are called dried apricots. At bazaars you can often see attractive-looking orange dried apricots. You won’t be able to get such an attractive-looking apricot at home.

The thing is that when drying apricots for dried apricots, they are treated with sulfur dioxide to avoid blackening of the product. You should not use such dried apricots for baby food. No matter how well you wash the dried apricots, the chemicals will still remain in them. You can dry fruits without using chemicals at home. To dry apricots, you need to select only ripe fruits without any damage and without worms. Well-washed fruits are cut into halves and the seeds are removed.

Then, to prevent the apricots from darkening, they are dipped in a citric acid solution for 10 minutes. To prepare the solution, take eight teaspoons of citric acid per liter of water. It is better to use lemon juice instead of citric acid. The fruits are poured onto a wire rack and allowed to dry. Next, the fruits are laid out on racks, skin side down, but so that the fruits do not touch each other.

The fruits need to be dried in the hot sun. They will take about four days to dry. Then the dried fruits are placed on sieves in a denser layer and dried in the shade, in a ventilated place. When dried properly, apricots will be orange in color.

From four kilograms of ripe apricot fruits you get about a kilogram of dried apricots.

Dried apricots are a good vitamin and strengthening product for feeding people weakened after illness. It is very useful for the normal functioning of the main heart muscle. Dried apricots are added to yogurt and compotes, having previously been crushed into small pieces. Dried apricots are used to make fruit soups.

1. You can dry apricots without removing the pits. The drying time for such fruits in the hot sun is about a week. After this, they are brought to condition in a ventilated place in the shade.

2. Drying fruits in the oven. We remove the seeds from the fruits and soak them in a solution of citric acid. When the fruits are dry, they are placed on a baking sheet in the oven, which is preheated to 120 degrees.

The baking sheet with apricots is periodically shaken in an open oven during drying. After some time, the temperature should be reduced to 80 degrees. Drying apricots in this way only takes a couple of hours. To prevent the fruits from burning, the drying temperature should not be high.

Apricots, halved and dried, are called dried apricots. Apricots dried with the pit removed are called kaisa. Drying apricots for apricots is widespread. Dry it whole with the pit. Apricots, for drying, are removed from the branches in a ripe state. At low temperatures, drying is carried out only at the beginning and at the end of the process.

At the beginning and end of drying, depending on the juiciness of the apricot, the temperature is set at 50-65°C, and in the middle of the drying process it is brought to - 70-85°C. You can only adjust the temperature in the oven. The temperature is set using a thermometer.

To dry in the hot sun, apricots are first kept in the shade in a ventilated place for four hours and then placed in the sun. When drying in the oven, apricots are placed on a baking sheet covered with paper and stirred periodically in a slightly heated oven.

At the end of drying, the oven is not covered tightly, and the apricots are periodically turned over to thoroughly remove moisture from them. Drying ends when the apricots become elastic and do not release juice when squeezed.

The humidity after drying the fruit is not always uniform, but after some time it evens out when stored in a dry place. Take breaks of several hours to redistribute moisture in the fruits. This procedure is carried out at a temperature not exceeding 65°C.

Are dried apricots healthy?

Residents of Central Asia consider dried apricots a gift from Allah. And it rightfully deserves this name due to its usefulness. Apricots contain a large amount of carotene and various vitamins, are rich in iron, magnesium, pectin, fiber, but most importantly, they have a lot of magnesium and potassium. In dried fruits, the usefulness of dried apricots as a supplier of microelements is much greater than in fresh fruits.

Dried apricots are the protector of the heart. The potassium contained in it strengthens the heart muscle.

Foods with a low glycemic index linger longer in the gastrointestinal tract, gradually breaking down and preventing a sharp jump in blood sugar. Products with a low glycemic index provide a prolonged feeling of fullness.

Therefore, those who want to lose weight should choose foods with a low glycemic index. The presence of vitamin A in dried apricots will provide you with healthy skin, nails and hair. It is also useful for impaired vision and as a general tonic.

Since dried apricots contain a large amount of magnesium, in case of anemia it is an indispensable aid in increasing hemoglobin. Dried apricots are useful for hypertensive patients and prevent blockages in blood vessels. Dried apricots are a natural fat burner.

Which dried apricots to choose?

To buy dried apricots, choose a matte, yellowish-orange color. Dried apricots that are too brightly colored should not be purchased. It should be elastic, slightly harsh. Dried apricots that are too soft, which are easily smeared with your fingers and have a winey taste, should not be taken.

It is necessary to distinguish between fruits dried at home and industrially. The former undergo a drying process in the shade or in the sun, while the latter undergo a drying process in a special chamber. But the worst thing is that chemicals are widely used in industrial processing.

To give dried apricots a marketable appearance, they are dried using sulfur dioxide. In this case, dried apricots are inedible for bugs and are not subject to rot and mold for a long time. When treated with sulfur dioxide, sulfurous acid appears on the skin.

It also prevents apricots from darkening when dried. From this treatment with sulfur dioxide, the curga turns out to be bright orange, and when light grapes are dried, the raisins become amber-yellow.

This type of fruit processing protects the product from insects, but is harmful to human health.

Sulfur dioxide is highly soluble in water and forms sulfurous acid. Sulfurous acid has a destructive effect on the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.

In short, Sklifosovsky! It is not recommended to cook compotes from such fruits, and it is not recommended to eat them either. Sulfur dioxide can cause allergies and nervous disorders. Which is what usually happens.

When grapes and prunes are dried, caustic soda is used. This is a necessary measure. The plum skin is so thick that the prune itself is unable to dry. To do this, you need to first make sure that the peel turns into a network of cracks. To do this, the fruits are dipped in boiling water and soda, removed and dried in the shade. Some of the juice from prunes and grapes flows out through the cracks.

Caustic soda is the most common alkali. It easily destroys metals such as aluminum and zinc.

Some residents of Central Asia believe that orange dried apricots are the height of ugliness. In addition to the fact that dried apricots are fumigated with sulfur, they are also painted with food coloring. When dried at home, the fruit inevitably darkens.

White raisins are processed with food coloring. Light grape varieties turn reddish-brown after drying.

To give it a presentation, prunes, dried apricots and raisins are greased with oil to make them shine.

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 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.

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.

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?

1. Remove spoiled, soft fruits from the total apricot mass.
2. Be patient and remove the pits from any remaining usable fruit.
3. 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)
4. Then leave them in a colander for twenty minutes to let the water drain.
5. Place the wedges on the rack, cut side up
6. Place in a cool, well-ventilated area for 1.5-2.5 hours
7. Then take it out into the sun. Let it dry all day. If it rains, bring it indoors
8. They need to dry in the sun for at least six days
9. The rest of the time, the apricots are dried in a cool, ventilated place.
10. Fruits that do not stick to the fingers and are completely dry are considered dried.

How to dry apricots in the oven?

If you have a spacious oven, then drying apricots in it will not be difficult.

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

IMPORTANT: Make sure that the temperature in the oven does not exceed the set temperature, otherwise they may simply fry.

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.

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 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

IMPORTANT: If the finished dried apricots, immersed in water, tend to swell, it means 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.

IMPORTANT: If the air temperature in the air fryer 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.

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.

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.

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.

Video: drying apricots in a special dryer

Apricots Many people love sweet and very tasty fruits. Ripe apricots have a delicate and delicate aroma.

For the winter apricot make various preparations: preserves, jams, juices, compotes, dried.

Let's take a closer look how to dry apricots at home, benefits of dried apricots, devices and equipment for drying.

Methods for drying apricots

Dried apricots are considered the healthiest; they contain more vitamins than those rolled in jars.

Apricots can be dried with or without pits. Seedless apricots, cut in half, are called dried apricots. If the apricot is whole, and the pit was removed through the stalk, then it is kaisa.

In stores and markets they sell dried apricots that are bright yellow in color and have an attractive appearance. Homemade, dried apricots do not have this appearance. This is due to the fact that dried apricots at the market, during drying, are fumigated with sulfur dioxide, so the fruits do not darken.

To dry apricots, prepare ripe, fully ripened fruits without external damage or worms in the middle.

Wash the fruits in water, divide them in half and remove the seeds.

To prevent your dried apricots from darkening during the drying process, you need to dip the apricot halves for 10 minutes in a solution with citric acid.

Let's prepare the solution: 1 tsp. dissolve citric acid in a liter of water. Instead of acid, you can use lemon juice.

After 10 minutes, remove the apricots from the solution and place on a wire rack to drain.

Then place the apricots, cut side up, on the racks so that the fruits do not touch each other.

Apricots are properly dried in the hot sun for 3-4 days. After that, the apricots are placed more tightly on the grill and dried in the shade. The place should be well ventilated.

Properly dried apricots will be yellow-orange in color and not overdried. To get 1 kg of homemade dried apricots, you will need about 4 kg of ripe apricots.

You can dry apricots with the pit, this way the maximum vitamins and nutrients will be preserved. Dried apricots with pits are called apricots. Apricots are dried in the hot sun for 7 days, then transferred to the shade, a well-ventilated place and dried.

Dried apricots useful for pregnant women and children, thanks to it the heart muscle functions normally.

Dried apricots are used in the preparation of compotes, added into yoghurt, cut into cubes, and healthy and tasty fruit soups are prepared from dried apricots.

An oven is also used to dry apricots. The prepared apricot halves are placed on a baking sheet or wire rack covered with parchment, the temperature in the oven at the beginning of drying and at the end is 50-60 degrees, and after 1-2 hours (mid-drying) it is set at 70-80 degrees.

Somewhere in the middle of drying, open the oven slightly (or open it for 10-20 minutes several times during drying), and turn the apricots over so that the moisture evaporates freely.

During the entire drying period, you can turn it over several times, the apricots will dry evenly, you can also take breaks of 1 hour, the moisture will be evenly distributed, then continue drying.

At drying apricots in the oven Do not allow high temperature, otherwise the fruit may burn.

In this method of drying, after 4-5 hours the dried apricots will be ready, the fruits will become elastic, dry and no juice will be released when pressed.

Drying apricots in an electric dryer

For drying apricots, household appliances are also used - special dryers for fruits and vegetables. Follow the instructions for the device and in 10-12 hours the dried apricots will be ready.

Video - Dried apricots at home - an easy way

Store dried apricots in bags made of thick fabric, suspended. Dried apricots are also well stored in wooden jars in a cool and dry place. High-quality dried apricots can be stored for up to 2 years.

Dried apricots, dried apricots, not only look bright and life-affirming on the shelves in the winter cold, but also contain a lot of useful substances. You can make this orange delicacy yourself at home, you just need to know the technology and follow it...

For drying, only “cultivated” apricot varieties should be used; “wild” apricot varieties are not suitable. Since the dried fruit will already be dehydrated during the heat treatment process, the fruits should be ripe, sweet, large and fleshy, but not watery. It is also not recommended to use early varieties of apricots for drying. So, we select whole, undamaged fruits. We wash it, divide it into two halves and remove the seeds. Do not use apricots affected by fruit worms. Even after removing worms and larvae, you risk that pests will infest the dried apricots in the future. Also, do not rinse the separated fruit halves. If you want to get a light-colored drying, place the apricot halves in a colander and hold over boiling water for 10-12 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook a rich syrup ahead of time and dip the apricot halves into it for a few minutes. After this, place the fruits on a wide dish, allowing the syrup to drain. There are several ways to actually dry apricots. Use a dryer if you have one. Place the fruits on the drying rack so that they do not touch. Initially set the temperature to 50 degrees, a little later reduce it to 45. On average, the drying process lasts 10-15 hours. You can check the readiness “by eye” - the dried apricots should be dry to the touch, without moisture or stickiness.

You can also dry apricots in the oven. To do this, place a cotton cloth on the grill and place apricots on it in one layer. Set the oven temperature to 65-70 degrees. To ensure even drying, turn the fruits periodically. After they have dried a little, transfer them to a baking sheet previously covered with paper. An apricot is considered a dried apricot when it is dry, but at the same time elastic and does not release juice. This usually takes 10-12 hours in the oven. You can cook dried apricots the good old way “outdoors”. To begin with, the “disassembled” fruits are placed on a dish or baking sheet and placed in the shade in the breeze. After several hours of this treatment, the fruits are placed on a wooden stand and dried in the sun.

Very useful, both fresh and dried. They help avoid some cardiovascular diseases, cope with anemia and are very effective against vitamin deficiencies. Meanwhile, as studies have shown, vitamins, microelements and minerals are best preserved in this product when the apricot is dried, that is, presented in the form of dried apricots. Making dried apricots is not at all difficult and you can do it yourself, and we will tell you how to dry apricots at home and what you need for this.

So, just like at home, choosing fruits and preparing for drying.

For drying, you need to take only well-ripened and always healthy apricot fruits with a well-separable stone and dense, rich pulp. Before drying, apricots must be washed and wiped dry. Excess moisture should not be present on the fruit. After this, you need to carefully, looking through each individual fruit, remove the seeds from them, opening the apricot in half, but without tearing it completely.

How to dry apricots at home in the oven, step-by-step instructions.

At home, drying apricots can be done in two ways: in the air (exclusively in dry weather) and in the oven. Meanwhile, you can combine the two mentioned methods of drying fruits.

To lay out the fruits, prepare in advance, depending on the volume of the fruit, trays, baking sheets or special nets on wooden frames (depending on the drying method).

For drying in the oven, baking trays are suitable, which need to be covered with baking paper, and the fruits should be placed on it. In this case, the fruit cuts should be upward. When all the apricots are placed, the baking sheet is placed in the oven and the fruits are dried for one hour at a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees. At the same time, your future dried apricots must be stirred periodically.

After an hour, you need to open the oven slightly and let the apricots cool completely while inside the oven. After this, the procedure is repeated again, and it should be repeated until the fruit stops releasing juice when squeezed. As a rule, this requires 5-6 such procedures.

You can dry apricots in a slightly different way.

How to dry apricots, method two.

Place your fruit halves in a colander and keep the whole thing over boiling water for about eight minutes. This is necessary so that after drying the apricot retains its beautiful original color. After this, place the fruits on a cotton cloth and dry them in fresh air until all excess moisture is removed from them. After this, turn on the oven, it should be preheated to 65 degrees before inserting the fruit into it. Move the fruits onto a baking sheet previously lined with baking paper and, when the temperature in the oven reaches 60-65 degrees, place it all inside for 9 hours.

After the specified time, remove the baking sheet and let the dried apricots cool completely. Place the cooled dried fruits in a wooden box and close it tightly with a lid for 3 weeks. After this, take out the dried fruits and consume them daily. Should be stored in a well-ventilated and most importantly dry place.

How to dry apricots in the fresh air.

Place sheets of paper, special frames or trays on the street or on the balcony, always in the shade, and place apricots on them in an even layer. Keep the fruits like this for up to 4 hours, and then move them to the sun before sunset. At night, put the apricots indoors or under a shed. After one day in the sun, the fruits can then be dried in the shade, for example, in the attic or in the gazebo, on the loggia or on the balcony. Remember, excessive exposure of apricots to direct sunlight will make them unsightly in appearance.

How to dry apricots using a combined method.

When using this method of drying apricots, follow these steps in order.

1. Place the washed and peeled fruits on a baking sheet.

2. Soak the apricots in the sun for up to four hours.

3. Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 60 degrees for 1 hour.

4. Open the oven and let the dried fruits cool completely.

5. Bring the pan out to fresh air and place it in the shade. Dry your dried apricots here until fully cooked.

Attention! Dried apricots prepared at home will look slightly different from store-bought ones. This is due to the fact that in retail outlets, in order to give the dried fruit a marketable appearance, it is treated with sulfur dioxide.