Dried apricots are considered to be a favorite delicacy of most people. Dried apricots keep beneficial features even after heat treatment. Dried fruits are added to cereals, used as a snack for tea, they decorate desserts. The product is especially useful for diabetics and girls who follow their figure. Thanks to a large number beneficial enzymes, the delicacy normalizes glucose levels and improves digestion. To dry apricots, you need to have basic knowledge.
Preparing apricots for drying
- Choose cultivated apricot varieties. Wild subspecies (in the common people - "wild") are not suitable for such manipulations. Choose sweet, not watery, ripe, firm fruits. Because in the process of processing with boiling water, the apricot will lose most of the liquid. Make sure that the fruits are of a late variety.
- Before drying, sort out the apricots, get rid of rotten, damaged specimens. Remove the seeds, cut the fruits in half, and do not forget to exclude wormy fruits. This is done so that the larvae are not reborn during the drying process. It is not recommended to wash the fruit cut in two.
- To achieve a lighter shade during drying, you will need to send the fruit to a colander and hold the fruit over steam for a quarter of an hour. You can do it in a different way by cooking syrup from 200 gr. sugar and 300 ml. water. Dip the slices in the cooked mass for a few minutes. Take out, spread on a flat container, leave until the sweet paste drains completely.
Method number 1. Drying with household appliances
- Electric dryer. First, read the instruction manual for the device, choose a more suitable function. Then you should follow the basic rules for drying apricots. Arrange the prepared fruit on the trays, keeping a short distance, such a move will prevent sticking. Next, set the temperature to 45 degrees and the duration of the heat treatment for 2 hours. After this period, raise the temperature to 60 degrees, soak the apricots for 5.5 hours. Then again reduce the power to 45 degrees, simmering for another 2 hours. The total duration of the procedure is about 10 hours.
- Oven. In the absence of a special electric dryer, use conventional oven. Keep in mind that fruits need constant supervision. Set the oven temperature to 65 degrees. Place the fruits on a baking sheet, send to the oven. The languishing process will be about 9 hours. Don't forget to open the door from time to time. oven to remove excess moisture. Also, make sure that the apricots do not dry out.
- Dehydrator. This method is the fastest and best. Start by laying the apricots cut side down on the wire rack. Next, set the temperature to 60 - 65 degrees, set the timer for 30 minutes. With this processing, the fruits will be semi-fleshy, semi-dry. The type of dried fruit depends on taste, if you prefer a more dried composition, extend the heat treatment to 45 minutes.
Method number 2. Drying in the sun
- The method is considered more natural, since the fruits are dried in a natural environment under the sun. To do this, lay out the pitted fruits with the slices up.
- Put cotton material on wooden pallets, send apricots to it in a free state, not pressed against each other.
- First, the apricots are dried in the shade for about 4 hours. Then they are laid out under scorching ultraviolet rays until completely dry. After sunset, remove the fruits into the house, cover with gauze. This is done so that insects do not damage the composition.
- Be patient, because drying in this way will take about 10 days. When storing fruits between drying days, put the legs of the pallets in cups of water, then the ants will not get to the apricots.
- There is another way - combined. Spread the prepared fruits in the sun, wait about 4 hours. Preheat the oven to 65 degrees, then send the apricots into it for 1 hour. Take out the fruits, place in the shade for final drying.
Determine the readiness of dried apricots
The degree of readiness of dried apricots is determined by several indicators.
- Feel the dried fruit. Properly carried out drying makes dried apricots wrinkled, but elastic. The composition should be slightly heavier than overdried specimens, pleasant to the touch due to the content of a small amount of water.
- If you put cooked dried fruit in boiling water, it will swell. In such apricots, the maximum supply of vitamins and minerals is preserved.
- When preparing this product without the use of chemicals, the color is pale yellow, brownish, moderately orange. A supersaturated shade indicates that the fruit has been processed with an unnatural composition.
- Cotton bag. This method more common than all the others. Place dried fruits in a bag, hang on a carnation in a dark room with minimal air humidity.
- Plastic bag. The method is more modern and practical. After drying, dried apricots are placed in polyethylene, placed in a cool place, periodically open the package and ventilate the contents.
- Cardboard container. The storage method in this way helps unevenly dried fruit to cook. It is enough to line the box with album sheets, then put apricots in it (one side by side).
It is easy to dry apricots at home if you follow practical advice. Consider popular methods using an oven, electric dryer, dehydrator. Try to carry out the procedure by laying the fruits under direct sunlight. Combine several technologies with each other, look for the best option. Store dried apricots in plastic bags, cardboard containers or cotton bags.
Video: how to make dried apricots at home
Learn how to properly dry apricots for future use. The article will describe the exact instructions on how to dry them using an electric dryer, microwave, oven, air grill.
In dried apricots, more useful components are preserved than in jam, jam, compotes 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 for the cold season as many tasty, fragrant, dried apricots as possible. In addition, drying is not such a costly method of harvesting fruits. Now we will learn in detail about what drying methods are, and how to properly follow the sequence in this process so that the apricots are stored for as long as possible.
How to dry apricots for the winter for dried apricots at home?
Drying apricots is different. As a result, you can get apricots or dried apricots. Apricots are usually dried plain, effective method- right in the trees. More precisely, the apricot fruits are simply not picked from the trees, but are waiting for them to dry themselves. Only then is the harvest harvested.
Dried apricots - 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 varieties of apricot for this process. Cultivars will do. Well, if these are large apricots with fleshy pulp.
Useful apricot dried apricots - how to dry?
Cooking dried apricots for the winter:
- Select clean, unaffected, slightly unripe, firm fruits
- Wash them well. Dividing into halves, remove the stones from the apricot
- Put the cooked, peeled fruits in a colander, hold them over the steam for 12-15 minutes. This is done so that dried apricots do not acquire a dark shade in the future.
- After the apricots should dry slightly in a colander
- Processed fruits, put on a tray and refrigerate for two to three hours
- Then dry dried apricots in the sun. It will take a lot of time to dry - somewhere around two to three weeks
IMPORTANT: When picking out apricot pits, don't throw them away. After all, from these bones you can get kernels in which there are many useful substances. Moreover, they are used in confectionery industry for powdering cakes, etc.
How to dry apricots for dried fruits in the sun?
If the drying of dried fruits is done correctly, then 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 mass of apricots.
- Be patient, remove the seeds from the remaining fruits suitable for use
- Again, put 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 with lemon (for one liter of water, 2 teaspoons without a slide citric acid)
- Then leave them in a colander for twenty minutes, let the water escape
- Place the wedges on the wire rack, cut side up.
- Place in a cool, well-ventilated area for 1.5-2.5 hours
- Then take it out into the sun. So dry all day. If it rains, bring it inside
- They need to dry in the sun for at least six days.
- The rest of the time, apricots are dried in a cool, ventilated place.
- Fruits that do not stick to the fingers and are completely dry are considered desiccated.
How to dry apricots in the oven?
If you have a spacious oven, then drying apricots in it is not difficult.
For this you will need:
- Again, sort out the fruits and separate them from the seeds
- Arrange on grids or sheets, covered parchment paper
- Turn on the oven and put these sheets in 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 so that drying takes place evenly.
- 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 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 do not need to carry fruits back and forth in the sun, and dust will not 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, healthy dried apricots.
How to dry apricots in a dryer, read on:
- Start by sorting the washed fruits and separating the seeds from them
- Hold them in a solution of water with lemon so that in the future they do not darken, but are amber in color.
- Let dry on gauze
- Lay out on grids
- Place in 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, dipped in water, tend to swell, then it is of good quality.
How to dry apricots in an air grill?
It is more convenient to dry fruits on air grills. To do this, they need to be laid out evenly on them and start the device. For apricots, it is better to use medium speed, the temperature is not higher than 120 degrees, then it will take from 20 to 30 minutes to dry.
IMPORTANT: If the air temperature in the air grill is above 120 degrees, then the apricots will become dark and their beneficial properties will practically be lost.
How to dry apricots in the microwave?
Fruit drying process microwave oven not difficult, but requires attention. Indeed, 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 is about two minutes. Then check the readiness of dried apricots. If the fruit is not yet dried, then increase the time by another thirty seconds and so gradually increase until the apricot is fully cooked.
How to dry apricot pits?
To be more precise, it is not the apricot seeds that need to be dried, but the kernels. To do this, free them from a strong shell. Dry in the oven at a low temperature or simply fry in a pan. Check readiness periodically.
Apricot kernels contain fatty acid, protein, carbohydrates, a lot of vitamin E. However, you cannot eat more than 40 of these nucleoli in one sitting. They contain hydrocyanic acid (amygdalin). Please note that in different varieties apricot, different content of this poison. Therefore, control your appetite, do not overeat.
Now you have learned how to make dried apricots yourself different ways. More importantly: in order to save ready-made dried apricots, you need to place them in cloth bags, and then in a wooden, glass container with a lid. Just do not 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
Since ancient times in Transcaucasia, Central Asia, China, Iran, some countries of the Middle East produced dried apricots and apricots - delicious and healthy dried fruits from apricot. And although today you can find a huge variety in stores, this delicacy, its too attractive “presentation” often inspires doubt about how natural, and, therefore, useful this product is. Therefore, many are wondering if it is possible and how to make dried apricots at home.
What is dried apricots?
First of all, you need to figure out how dried apricots differ from apricots. Firstly, before making dried apricots, stones are removed from apricots by cutting the fruits in half. Secondly, they have different cooking technologies. So, real, traditional dried apricots natural way, i.e. right on the tree and removed in the form of a “harvest” of dry whole fruits with stones, but the production of dried apricots often involves its heat and other processing.
It is clear that more useful properties of the apricot fruit are preserved in apricot than in dried apricots. In particular, potassium, which is very good for the heart. Therefore, it can be argued that the apricot is more intended for use as, so to speak, “useful food additive” or as part of various potions, and dried apricots are more of a delicacy that is used both independently and as part of desserts and other dishes.
What varieties of apricots are suitable for making
dried apricots at home?
Let's say right away that wild apricot varieties are not at all suitable for making dried apricots. As for the “cultivated apricot”, more than a hundred are known today. different varieties, which differ as palatability and fruit ripening time. Since dried apricots are dried fruits, therefore it is necessary to remove moisture from apricots, therefore varieties with large, sweet, fleshy fruits are suitable for making this delicacy.
You also need to pay attention to the fact that the fruit is not bitter.
If dried apricots are supposed to be dried in the sun, then it is not recommended to choose fruits of early varieties that ripen in early summer, since during this period it is still not so hot and the fruits may not dry well.
Making dried apricots
Now let's figure out how you can make dried apricots at home.
So let's get started:
- We select fruits for making dried apricots. We pay attention that they are without wormholes and damage. Too ripe apricots are also not suitable. Ideally suitable fruit should have a bright color, but at the same time be quite hard to the touch.
- Thoroughly wash the apricots, cut them in half and remove the pits. At this stage, we reject fruits in which worm larvae are visible in the form of small black or dark brown dots. Such pests can appear both in completely intact, at first glance, and intact fruits. Therefore, I would like to immediately warn you that you should not give in to the temptation and try to remove the larvae and use a similar fruit, since this will not be possible anyway, and the worms can later start in the dried apricots themselves. In addition, it is not recommended to wash already cut fruits.
Tip: don't throw away the kernels apricot kernels because they are not only tasty, but also useful. Of course, it is not recommended to eat them in handfuls, but they are perfect in chopped form as a powder for various pastries or cakes, or whole as a decoration for confectionery.
- So that dried apricots do not turn out too dark in color, cut apricot halves are put in a colander and kept over a container of boiling water for 10-15 minutes. If you are going to use dried apricots only as a dessert, then you first need to cook thick syrup and immerse a colander with apricots in it for a few minutes. If dried apricots are used in cooking meat dishes, then you can use a weak saline solution instead of syrup. In the latter case
- They take out a colander with apricots and wait a minute or two for the liquid to glass. Then we take a large plate or dish and carefully spread the apricots along the sides, leaving the circle in the center free so that excess liquid from the syrup or brine collects there.
Tip: to make dishes with apricots take up less space, you can stack them three on top of each other.
- Finally, let's deal with the question of how to dry apricots for dried apricots? To do this, lay them on the drying racks so that they do not touch each other. We place the grates with apricots in the dryer, close the door and set the temperature. You need to start drying at 50 degrees, and then finish drying at 45 degrees.
The process is usually about 10-15 hours, depending on the juiciness of the fruit. The readiness of dried apricots is indicated by the absence of moisture on them and the fact that they should not be sticky to the touch.
If you do not have a dryer, then you can use the proven grandmother's method - to dry them in the open air. To do this, a dish or tray with laid out apricots is placed in the center of a larger square piece of gauze, with a side that is three times larger than the diameter of the dish (or the side of the tray, if it is rectangular).
Then we tie the ends in a knot so that if you hold the knot between it and the dish there is a distance of 20-25 s. If the weather is not windy and the day is sunny, then we hang the dishes on a clothesline by knots. In the case when this method is not suitable, you can simply spread the trays of apricots in the sun and cover with gauze.
How to store dried apricots?
To have a delicious apricot delicacy on the table all winter, it is not enough just to make dried apricots at home - you also need to learn how to store it properly. Best of all, dried apricots are stored in wooden, closed lids, containers or linen bags. In no case should you store dried apricots in plastic bags.
Here, now you are familiar with all the intricacies of the manufacturing process of this apricot treat. As you can see, making dried apricots is not so difficult, just follow simple advice and recommendations, and soon you will be able to treat your loved ones with a variety of culinary masterpieces, in which dried apricots will bring a special accent of oriental exoticism.
Delicious everyone's favorite orange fruit apricots always delight us in the summer. In winter, you also want to eat these “sweets” enriched with vitamins. How can you save apricots until winter? The simplest and The right way- is to dry apricots, preparing dried apricots from them. Such a product stores a third of all the vitamins that are in fresh fruit.
What is dried apricots?
You can dry an apricot in different ways. Depending on what type of dried apricot you want to get as a result, it is worth choosing a method. Let's take a look at the varieties. The type of "drying" depends on the fruit. So, for example, if you take small apricots and do not remove the seeds from them, then as a result of drying you will get “apricots”. Larger dried fruits with a bone - it's already whispered.
Dried apricot fruits without a stone, which is gently squeezed out from below, are called "kaisa". But the recognizable and beloved dried apricots are dried halves.
What apricots to choose?
An important point in the preparation of dried apricots is the apricot variety. Sweet fruits of high density are best suited. It is better to check in advance how well the bone separates. If it's easy - this variety is definitely suitable for dried apricots. Remember that when dried, the apricot will shrink by five times. Therefore, it is better to take more fruits.
Prepared fruits should be thoroughly washed and dried. Of course, break or carefully cut into two parts and get the bone.
How to make dried apricots orange?
Industrial production of dried apricots naturally differs from home production. To give the “drying” the desired beautiful bright shade, manufacturers process it with special substances that are not always environmentally friendly. When preparing dried fruit at home, you can use proven folk methods:
1. Hold drying over steam for up to 10 minutes. If the fruits are very dense and strong, they can even be boiled a little. Then you need to dry the apricot and then proceed directly to drying.
2. Prepare a solution of citric acid (1 tsp) with water (1 liter). Place the fruits briefly in this liquid. This will also help brighten future dried fruits.
How to make dried apricots?
The advent of household electric dryers has greatly simplified the cooking process. various kinds dried fruits, including, of course, apricots. Let's talk in more detail about the process of preparing dried apricots.
1. Weigh the halves prepared by us in advance and transfer to a saucepan.
2. Pour apricots with sugar at the rate of 1 kg of apricot - 0.35 kg of sugar and leave for a day at room temperature. During this time, the juice will separate.
3. At the end of the day, drain the juice. We won't need it anymore. Now you can use it as you like, for example, boil and preserve.
4. Throw apricots in a colander, let them drain.
5. Now we need to make syrup. To do this, you will need (350 ml of water, 0.3 kg of sugar, 1 kg of halves).
6. Boil the syrup and then put the apricots in it.
7. Switch off and let the mass cool down quietly.
8. Drain the syrup again, and discard the apricots in a colander.
9. More or less dry fruits carefully spread in the dryer.
10. First, select a strong mode, on which dry the fruits for 3 hours.
11. Set the setting to low and dry the dried apricots until they are fully cooked.
Video. How to make dried apricots?
The dried apricots should be soft, not too wet and not too dry. The ideal storage place is, of course, the refrigerator.
How to make dried apricots at home?
For those who have not yet acquired a special dryer, another, simpler method will do.
Choose a clean, well-heated place with direct sunlight, where there is constant access to fresh air. A rooftop or balcony will do.
1. Ready pitted halves first need to be “ventilated” in a draft for several hours.
2. Then carefully place the halves on a wire rack and place in the sun.
3. At night, apricots are best removed into the house.
4. On average, after 10-14 days, "drying" will be ready.
Another option is drying apricots strung on a string or twig. Such fruits can dry even in the shade, in a light wind.
It is quite difficult to hide dried apricots from flies and ants. Therefore, everyone is looking for a suitable method for themselves. Some often change the location of the dryer, others cover it with gauze or place it under glass, and still others put the table with the dryer into the water to protect it from ants. You choose your own way of dealing with insects!
Is dried apricots ready?
Well and properly dried dried apricots should be dry and at the same time soft enough. If you put good dried apricots in hot water, they should swell. And yet - a beautiful color can also say a lot about the quality of drying!
If, nevertheless, you did not manage to dry the dried apricots evenly, put it in a closed box and put it in a cool, dry place. Dried fruit itself will “improve” the level of moisture!
We will describe in detail the recipe for preparing such dried fruit below.
General information
Before submitting step by step recipe dried apricots at home, you should tell what kind of product it is, what properties it has.
Dried apricots, apricots and kaisa - many people believe that these words are synonymous. But it's not. These products have only one thing in common - the raw material in the form of an apricot.
Dried apricots are called dried fruits with a stone, dried apricots are dried in cut form, and kaisa is a whole fruit from which the stone has been removed.
A step-by-step recipe for dried apricots at home should be known to all housewives. After all, when dried, the apricot retains almost all the useful properties. That is why such a product is an invaluable source of trace elements and vitamins.
Today, the production of dried apricots is widespread in Turkey and Tajikistan. However, the birthplace of the apricot is China. It was in the Celestial Empire that they began to cultivate in order to obtain tasty and fragrant fruits.
Dried apricots at home: a recipe with a photo of dried fruit
You can dry apricots at home different ways. Some do it in the oven, some use a dehydrator, and some prefer to exercise. this process in the sun. In any case, whichever method you choose, this apricot billet It will definitely turn out tasty and healthy, especially in winter.
So how to make dried apricots? The recipe for dried fruit requires the use of the following set of ingredients:
- fresh apricots - about 3 kg;
- cold drinking water - 4 cups;
- freshly squeezed lemon juice - 1 cup.
Product selection
Before implementing the recipe for making dried apricots at home, apricots should be chosen correctly. Fruit must be ripe. However, when buying them, make sure that they are not too soft or, conversely, hard.
Product processing
To prepare homemade dried apricots, all apricots must be peeled from the existing stalks, and then put in a colander and washed in turn in hot water. Next, the products should be dried with paper towels and a circular incision should be made. Turning the halves of the fruit in different directions, they are separated and the drupe is taken out. After that, the apricots are laid out in a deep bowl and poured with water, which is pre-mixed with freshly squeezed lemon juice. If you are too lazy to go to the store for such a sour fruit, then you can use ordinary citric acid instead.
In this form, the fresh product is kept for about half an hour, and then again placed on paper or waffle towels. After a few minutes, you can start drying the apricots.
Dry fruit in a dehydrator
The recipe for dried apricots at home is very often implemented through a device such as a dehydrator. Halves of apricots are laid out on the grid of the device with slices down. In this form, the product is left at 55-60 degrees for 20-40 minutes. The degree of drying of apricots depends on your desire. If you like more meaty products, then you should not keep them in the dehydrator for too long. If you want to get wrinkled and dry dried apricots, then its cooking time should be more than 30-40 minutes.
How and where to store?
Now you know how dried apricots are prepared at home. The recipe with a photo of this dried fruit was presented above. However, this information is not enough to keep dried apricots in the proper form for a long time. Therefore, all housewives who love to harvest dried fruits for the winter on their own must know how to store it.
Experienced chefs say that such a product is best preserved in a cloth bag, which is placed in a dry and dark room. Although some housewives prefer to put ready-made dried apricots in jars or in this case, it is better to store the products in a refrigerator. If you do this at room temperature, then, most likely, dried fruits will become moldy and become unusable.
Oven drying process
Above, we told you about how homemade dried apricots are dried in a dehydrator. The recipe for making such dried fruit can also be implemented in the oven. After all, not all housewives have the mentioned device. To do this, follow the same steps as described above. In other words, the apricots are carefully processed, washed, cut in half, soaked in lemon water and dried on a towel.
After the described actions, the fruit halves are laid out on a baking sheet, which is pre-covered with parchment paper. In this case, the slice of apricots should be on top.
In this position, the products are sent to the oven, where they are kept for 4-5 hours. At the same time, be sure to comply temperature regime at 100-130 degrees. Apricots should dry out, become wrinkled and take on a richer color.
Drying items in the sun
Experienced chefs say that apricots are able to retain a maximum of useful substances if they are not subjected to heat treatment and dry in the hot sun. But not everyone has this opportunity. Indeed, in urban conditions it is quite difficult to make tasty and healthy dried apricots using sunlight. If you live in an ecologically clean region where hot weather prevails in summer, then this method is quite possible to implement. To do this, you will need to process the apricots, peel them, wash them, soak them in lemon water and dry them. Next, the halves of the fruit need to be laid out on a large and even surface (for example, on a baking sheet, cutting board, etc.), which is pre-covered with food or plain paper. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the slices of apricots look up.
After all the fruits have been laid out properly, they are placed in the sun. In this case, it is desirable to ensure that the apricots were in a draft or in a well-ventilated place.
If you are afraid that your dried apricots will be covered with dust or be subject to insect attacks, then it should be covered with gauze or closed with some kind of mesh box that allows both sunlight and air to pass through well, but does not allow dirt and flies to get inside.
Summing up
Having presented a step-by-step recipe for dried apricots at home, you just have to make a choice. Using the described methods of drying apricots, you will definitely get a tasty and useful product which can be used for completely different purposes. Someone makes various desserts, pies and pies from dried apricots, someone cooks compotes from it, and someone even uses it just like that, instead of sweets.
