Man eats apricots for thousands of years. Fragrant fruits have high taste qualities and can quickly quench the feeling of hunger, enrich the body with necessary vitamins and trace elements, and therefore they are indicated for use in a number of diseases.
Apricots have a low calorie content (100 grams of the product contains only 41 kcal), which allows them to be eaten by those who are trying to part with extra pounds.
Fresh apricots contain an impressive amount of plant fiber and beta-carotene, which is considered the strongest antioxidant that prevents the development of cancer cells and heart disease.
Dried apricot: dried apricots, dried apricots, kaisa - what is the difference
Dried apricots, apricot and kaisa - these are all names of dried apricot, only dried apricots - These are dried apricot halves, from which the bones have been removed; apricot dried apricots - whole, dried fruit with a stone; kaisa - dried whole apricot, from which the bone is removed.
Dried apricots, apricot, kaisa - These are dried fruits, for the preparation of which apricot is used. Dried fruit almost completely retains all the nutrients and trace elements.
And there are plenty of them in apricot. The presence in the composition of apricots of a large amount of iron and potassium make them a universal remedy for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, many heart diseases and disorders of blood formation caused by a deficiency of potassium.
In addition, they stimulate the processes of digestion, contribute to the dilution of sputum with an unproductive cough, can be used as a laxative or diuretic.
They are a powerful growth stimulator for children, and also have an excellent restorative effect, improve the functioning of the gallbladder, liver and intestines.
Fruits have a stimulating effect on brain processes, which helps to improve memory and improve mental performance.
How useful dried apricots
Dried apricot - This is the most delicious and healthy of all dried fruits. He charmed gourmets with an orange color and a sweet-sweet taste. It is possible to dry apricots with or without a bone, but it is difficult to say which of the three types of dried apricots is more popular.
Particularly useful are sunny fruits in the autumn-spring period. Useful properties of apricot due to its chemical composition. Dried apricots contain vitamin A, nicotinic and ascorbic acids, B vitamins, magnesium, iron, cobalt, calcium, phosphorus, manganese and copper.
Did you know? 100 grams of dried apricots contain 5.2 g of protein, 51 g of carbohydrates and 0.3 g of fat. The carbohydrate component of the fetus is represented by glucose and fructose, which have the ability to be easily absorbed in the intestine and immediately enter the blood. In addition, the dried fruit has fiber, starch, salicylic, citric and organic acids.The healing potential of dried apricots inspires deep admiration. They are recommended to be eaten by those who suffer:
- anemia;
- dystrophy;
- high blood pressure;
- chicken blindness (hemeralopia);
- diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- constipation caused by intestinal atony.
Modern studies have confirmed that the systematic intake of these fruits helps to reduce blood sugar levels. This makes it indispensable for those who suffer from diabetes.
Important! It is especially useful to eat dried fruit to those who have disruptions in the functioning of the thyroid gland.In addition, apricots have a pronounced anti-bactericidal, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effect, which allows the use of a decoction of the fruit for washing wounds, rinsing the mouth during stomatitis and eyes with conjunctivitis.
Which apricot varieties are suitable for drying
Not all varieties of apricots are suitable for drying. When choosing fruit, remember that wild apricots are not suitable for this purpose. Today, there are about a hundred varieties that differ in taste, intensity of aroma, fruit size and ripening periods.
Preference should be given to varieties that produce large, fleshy and sweet fruit. When choosing a candidate, be sure to pay attention to the taste of the fruit, as it is very important that the fruits do not taste bitter.
If the drying of apricots in the air has been chosen, then they stop at late varieties ripening in the middle of summer, since at this time the air temperature is such that the fruits will dry out well.
The main thing - that they do not accidentally fall under the rain.
Apricot Drying
Drying apricots allows us to enjoy tasty and fragrant fruits all year round, and not only in summer. By preparing them for the winter, we provide ourselves with the opportunity to use them for making desserts, fruit porridges and flavored drinks.
Apricot harvesting is carried out in several ways. The main thing is to correctly carry out the procedure in order to fully preserve all the beneficial properties of fruits, as well as their taste, color and aroma.
To dry apricots with or without a bone is a personal matter. But do not forget that the stone is much easier to extract from the fresh fruit than from the dried.
Did you know? To preserve the charming color of apricots, you need to put them for a while in the water, which was previously added lemon juice. After you get the fruit out of the water, they must be allowed to dry well.There are several options for drying fruits, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Apricots can be dried outdoors. This method can only be used for drying the fruits of those varieties that ripen in the middle of summer, as the berries obtained from the early ripening varieties ripen during that period when the ambient temperature is not high enough, and therefore there is a probability of damage to the crop with mold.
Apricot drying is especially popular among gardeners. in the oventhat provides the owner of the garden with complete independence from the weather and nature favors. Apricot drying is also incredibly convenient. in electric drier or their frost.
Drying apricots in the sun
For drying apricots in the sun are selected fresh, not overripe fruits that have no damage. Fruits are carefully washed and removed bones.
Important! To preserve the color of the fruit, they are soaked for 10 minutes in a solution of citric acid, prepared for a liter of water, 8 teaspoons of citric acid.We shift the fruit into a colander and let it drain. After the water has drained, we spread the apricots in a single layer in slices up on the grid so that the halves do not touch each other.
We take out the fruit in the hot sun and leave it for 3 or even 4 days. After the indicated time has elapsed, put the grids and place the fruits in a more dense layer, then leave them in the shade until completely dry.
Drying apricots in the oven
For this method, choose apricots according to the same criteria as for drying in the sun. We take out from fruits of a stone and we put in a colander.
At the next stage, we put apricots for 10 seconds in boiling soda solution (add 1.5 teaspoons of baking soda to 1 liter of water). After boiling water, immediately immerse the fruit for a few seconds in cold water.
We give them to drain. Then put the fruit on a baking sheet, cut up so that they do not touch each other, and put them in the oven.
Did you know? Apricots are dried for about 8 hours at a temperature of about 65 degrees, and the oven door should be ajar. By the end of the drying, the temperature in the oven is reduced to 40 degrees.After drying, we put the fruit in a wooden container and hide it for 3-4 weeks in a dark, well-ventilated place to stabilize the humidity.
Drying apricots alternately in the sun and in the oven
Another popular way of harvesting dried apricots for the winter is the joint drying of fruits in the oven and in the sun. First, the fruits are soaked for 10 minutes in a solution of citric acid, then dried, laid out on the grate and put on the street.
After four hours, they are brought into the room and dried for another four hours in an oven at about 60 degrees.
Drying apricots in an electric drier
Ripe, but not overripe fruits are washed, and their bones are removed. Then we put the fruit on the trays of the electric drier by cutting up so that they do not touch each other.
Put the dryer in a well-ventilated area and turn on the device at an average temperature. The drying process lasts from 10 to 14 hours and depends on the size and juiciness of the fruit.
How to store dried apricots
It is important not only to dry properly, but also to properly store the dry fruits of apricots.
Important! To keep dried fruits for the longest possible time, they will need to be folded into gauze bags and hung in a cool and well-ventilated room with a minimum level of humidity and air temperature not more than 10 degrees.If this is not possible, then dried apricots should be stored in paper bags or glass, tightly closed jars, which periodically need to be opened for a short time for airing.
How to make candied apricots
Cooked candied apricots is easy. To do this, select slightly immature, intact hard fruits, wash them under running water and let them drain.
Now you should remove the bones from them and blanch the fruit for a few seconds in boiling water. Immerse the fruit for a few minutes in cold water, and only after that we soak the apricots in syrup, cooked for 250 grams of water 1.3 kg of sugar.
Fruits should be boiled in syrup three times for five minutes. After each cooking, let the fruit cool well. After the last cooking, fold the fruits into a colander and let them drain.
Fold the fruit on a baking sheet and dry them in the oven at 40 degrees until they are covered with sugar crystals.
How to freeze apricots for the winter
Many housewives harvest for the winter strawberries, currants, raspberries, as well as some other types of berries. However, they persistently bypass their attention apricots. And in vain!
This is a very tasty and healthy fruit, which contains a huge amount of vitamins and minerals.
Important! Apricots are often harvested for the winter in the form of jam, compotes or drying, but at the same time they forget that the freezing of apricots allows you to keep all the beneficial properties of this fruit intact.
The freezing of apricots can be carried out entirely, in halves, with sugar or in a sugar syrup. Each of these methods is good in its own way. But so that you can choose for yourself the most suitable option, let's take a closer look at each of them.Frozen whole apricots
If there is no time or desire to tinker with the removal of bones, then the apricots can be frozen completely.
Important! To freeze the whole choose ripe, whole apricots, wash them thoroughly and dry them.Put the fruit in one layer on the tray, the bottom of which is covered with plastic wrap, and put in the freezer until it hardens. After all the fruit is well froze, we pack them in plastic bags for further storage.
The main disadvantage of this method is that the fruits take up a lot of space.
Apricot Frost Halves
Fruits are well washed, dried and removed from the bones, then lay in a tray on a plastic wrap in one layer. After the apricots are solid, pack them in packages for further storage.
Frozen apricots with sugar
The first stage in freezing apricots with sugar is no different from the previous two. We select the fruits, wash them, carefully dry and remove the bones.
We put apricots in plastic containers and sprinkle each layer with sugar. We leave the containers on the table before the juice appears in them. Then tightly close the containers with lids and put in the freezer.
Freeze apricots in syrup
Wash apricots and remove bones, put the fruit in a container and fill it with cooled syrup, prepared at the rate of 2 glasses of water for 1 cup of sugar. Cover the container with a lid and send it to the freezer.
It is easy to prepare delicious fragrant fruits for the winter, but it is very pleasant to savor them in the strongest January cold, watching cold snowflakes spinning outside the window in a magical dance.
Apricots are juicy, tasty and fragrant fruits, which sunny summer gives us as a gift. Each apricot is a small piece of the sun that can save us from a variety of diseases, give strong immunity and an impressive supply of vitality.
And it’s not at all necessary to wait for the next summer to try apricots: you just need to know how to properly dry or freeze apricots at home.
