Apricots contain a lot of useful properties. Unfortunately, preserving these fruits fresh for a long time will not work, so hostesses who want to give a piece of summer to their loved ones in winter prepare jams and preserves. However, few people realize that the greatest number of useful properties is stored in dried apricots. How to dry apricot at home, you will know now.
Many believe that dried apricot is called dried apricots. In fact, dried apricot has many names, depending on the size of the fruit, as well as the presence in it of the seed. Memorize: a small dried apricot with a bone is apricot, a large one is whispered. If apricot seeds are squeezed through a hole in the stem, then this is nothing but Kajsa, but the halved dried apricot is dried apricots. It is the creation of dried apricots that we are going to do today.
Choice of apricot, suitable for high-quality dried apricots
High-quality dried apricots are obtained only from suitable apricots for this purpose. For drying it is necessary to take mature fruits. If you want to get just such a product (and for the less, we are sure you do not agree), then prepare sweet large in size, not too juicy apricots with dense pulp and easily extracted bone.
Preparing apricot for drying
Suitable for creating dried apricots fruits thoroughly washed. This is necessary so that the finished product does not need additional washing, since it will reduce the amount of useful substances. Divide the apricot in half. Bone extract.
Apricot Drying
After suitable fruits for dried apricots have been prepared, you can proceed to the main stage - drying.
The most useful is dried apricots when dried naturally. We spread the halves of the apricot slices up on a metal grill, covered with a cloth, put in a shady well-ventilated place for 3-4 hours. After that, put apricot in the sun. At night, apricots should be brought into the room. Depending on the weather and the characteristics of the fruit, it may take up to two weeks to dry.
Some instead of drying apricots on the grid, strung them on a string, which is then stretched in a horizontal position in a sunny, well-ventilated place. You can string the halves of apricot on twigs or skewers, and dry them in this way.
If you do not want to spend a lot of time on the preparation of dried apricots, you can dry the apricot in the oven. To do this, spread the halves of apricot on a baking sheet, send it to the oven, heated to 60 degrees. Periodically, the oven door should be opened to remove excess moisture. By the end of the drying temperature must be lowered.
How to get dried apricots of beautiful amber color
In order to get dried apricots of beautiful amber color, before direct drying, the halves of the apricot should be folded into a colander and held for 5 - 10 minutes over the steam (too hard fruits can be cooked for a couple of minutes). After that, lay apricots on a clean cloth to get rid of excess moisture.
Beautiful dried apricots are obtained by holding apricot in a solution prepared in proportion 1 tsp of citric acid per liter of water before drying.
What is high-quality dried apricots
Consistency. High-quality dried apricots elastic, pleasant to the touch, it retains up to 10% of the original amount of water.
Color. The fact that dried apricots presented in front of you, high quality, says it is moderately yellow, orange or dull brown. Remember: saturated color is not always an indicator of quality.
