How to make dried apricots at home

Dried apricots are valued for their beneficial properties that are preserved in the fruit even after drying. As a rule, the procedure is carried out through an oven, electric dryers, often apricots are dried in the sun. Dried apricots are decorated with desserts, added to breakfast and used as a snack for tea. Compotes and fruit drinks are prepared on the basis of dried fruits, without even adding sugar. If you want to enjoy all the pleasures of dried apricots, you need to make it right. Consider the main aspects in order.

What is useful apricots

1. Dried fruit pulls from the walls of the internal organs of heavy impurities and metals, which are often deposited in the intestine and stomach. Due to the large amount of pectins and organic acids, the product removes radionuclides.
2. Dried apricots are famous for the large accumulation of vitamins of all groups, in particular A, B, C, PP. If we talk about minerals, dried apricots are rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus.
3. Doctors nutritionists advise to use dried apricots for the prevention of gastrointestinal function, as well as the treatment of gastritis and ulcers. Often dried fruits of this kind are prescribed for anemia of the extremities.
4. If you take the habit of eating dried apricots in small portions daily, you can prevent the blockage of capillaries and blood vessels. Also, dried apricots have a healthy effect on the body and heart.
5. To tighten the skin, improve blood circulation, smooth fine wrinkles, it is enough to eat about 85-90 grams. dried apricots per day. In this case, the product is used independently or as part of the dishes.

Preparation of apricots for drying

1. Loop through fruits, exclude all wormy, dented and partially rotten. Overripe apricots should not be used to make dried apricots.
2. Rate the fruit to the touch, they should not be too soft. The best option is a hard fruit with a rich yellow-orange color.
3. After careful selection proceed to the sink.Rinse the apricots with cold water to remove the film. Cut each fruit into 2 halves, assess the presence of wormholes.
4. If you find a pest, immediately throw out the spoiled apricots (even if at first glance the fruit looks good). Otherwise, after drying, the larvae will turn into full-fledged worms.
5. Experienced housewives do not recommend rinsing apricots after their division into 2 halves. Such a course will wash useful enzymes, making the fruit softened.
6. Do not throw away apricot kernels. In the future, you can also dry them, chop them, and then add 1 tsp to cakes or porridges.
7. As a rule, in the process of drying apricots darken. To preserve a beautiful orange shade, send the halves of the fruit into a colander. Hold them over a saucepan with boiling water for a quarter of an hour.
8. Steam treatment is extremely important in any method of drying (sun, oven, electric dryer, etc.). After a period of time, fold the fruit on a towel, leaving a small distance between the fruit. Wait until completely dry.

Method number 1. Cooking dried apricots in the oven

1. Do a thorough preparation.Pick and rinse apricots in advance, chop them into equal parts.
2. It is important to understand that fruits are washed well in advance. Do not rinse future dried apricots with water just before drying. Otherwise, the moisture will not evaporate the cavity.
3. Try to separate the bones without damaging the pulp of the fetus. Otherwise, dried apricots will not look aesthetically pleasing after final preparation.
4. Now fold the fruit into a colander, hold it over the steam for 15 minutes. Put on a cotton towel, leave for 45-60 minutes. Prepare a baking sheet, cover it with parchment paper.
5. Spread the apricot halves up in slices. Preheat the oven to 60-65 degrees. Send a baking tray with the fruit inside, set the timer for 8-9 hours.
6. Every 1.5 hours, open the appliance door to help out excess moisture. For convenience, install a wooden bar in the hole, it will fix the door.
7. Periodically remove the baking sheet to assess the readiness of dried apricots. It should not be dry and dark. Qualitatively cooked fruits retain a rich color and density.

Method number 2.Preparation of dried apricots in the electric drier

1. Study manufacturer's recommendations for electric drier. Choose the appropriate program, keep the temperature and duration of the procedure.
2. Prepare the fruit in advance (washing, cutting, steam processing, drying). Remove the grate of the device, lay the apricots seam up on it.
3. Do not allow fruit to touch, otherwise they will stick together during the drying process. Send the grate inside, connect the device to the network. Set the drying time to 1.5-2 hours at a temperature of 45 degrees.
4. When the specified time passes, turn on the device at 55 degrees, dry for another 6 hours. After that, again reduce the temperature to the first mark, continue the heat treatment for 1.5 hours.
5. After all the manipulations (8.5—9 hours of drying), open the device, put the dried apricots to cool on a cotton towel. Move to a canvas bag or wooden box with good air circulation.

Method number 3. Preparation of dried apricots on a rope

1. This technology is the most gentle and natural. Drying fruit is carried out in a natural way. Pre-process the apricots.You need to wash, sort, cut into 2 sections and hold over the steam.
2. Put the future dried apricots on gauze or cotton cloth, then prepare the nylon thread (you can use fishing line). Begin to string the halves of apricots, keeping a distance of 1.5-2 cm from each other.
3. Hang the string under direct sunlight for the day. At night, remove the fruit in the apartment, in the morning again, send for drying. It is necessary to be patient, since drying apricots will take 12-14 days.

Method number 4. Preparation of dried apricots on a pallet

1. The cooking option is similar to the previous one, drying is also carried out in the sun. To do this, cook apricots, washing and chopping them. Like all other technologies, hold the fruit over boiling water.
2. Line a wooden or plastic tray with album sheets (you can substitute parchment paper). Put apricots "ass" down. Arrange the fruit freely so that they do not touch each other.
3. To begin, leave the fruit at a temperature of 20-23 degrees for 3 hours. Then move under the scorching sun until dark. At night, remove the trays in the apartment, again in the morning, bring out to dry.
4. Preparation of dried apricots by this method will take you about 10 days. To prevent insects from crawling on dried apricots during aging in the apartment, cover the fruit with gauze, place the legs of the trays in a container of water.

It is easy to make dried apricots, if you stick to practical advice. Prepare dried apricots using the oven or a special device. Try to dry the fruit in the sun, stringing them on a rope or laying it on pallets. Store the finished product in a fabric bag, cardboard box or wooden box.

Video: drying apricot