Apricots have been cultivated since ancient times. Residents of Byzantium endowed the fruits with rejuvenating properties and believed that they could slow down aging and increase life expectancy. The berries were consumed fresh and dried, and dried in the sun.
Aromatic jams and marmalade are made from the fruits of the stone fruit, and compotes are sealed for the winter, but during heat treatment the fruits lose the vitamins, minerals and organic acids in which they are rich.Not everyone knows how to store dried apricots at home so that insects do not infest the packaging. If you do not follow the rules for preparing berries and the drying process, the fruits will spoil.
Methods for drying fruit
To preserve the maximum of microelements and vitamins in apricots, which are so lacking in winter, the berries are sorted and sent to a gas oven or special drying. In the southern regions, where it is hot and there are no clouds in the sky, the fruits dry in the sun in 4 or 5 days.
Electric grill
Companies from many countries produce various types of household appliances; each device is accompanied by a detailed description. Fruits dry evenly in an electric grill. The apricots are sorted, pits are removed, divided into 2 parts and placed on a wire rack so that the cut halves are not connected to each other.
The berries are dried for three hours, setting the temperature to 50 ° C, after which they increase it by another 10 degrees. The fruits darken during the drying process; they will not change color if, before sending them to the electric grill, they are dipped in a solution prepared from 5 g of citric acid or juice and a liter of water. Apricots are dried after the liquid has drained. You can dry the berries well in 12 hours.
Gas oven
In the absence of special electrical equipment or a grill, both urban and rural residents can use a regular stove with a built-in gas oven, but you need to constantly monitor how the fruit is dried by opening the door slightly. The temperature in the oven must be at least 60 °C, which is reduced only at the end of the process.
Dried berries turn out sweet and tasty if you sprinkle them with sugar overnight in a ratio of 3 to 1:
- The mass is transferred to a colander and left there.
- While the liquid is draining, cook the syrup.To prepare this product, use 300 ml of water and 350 g of sugar.
- Apricots are placed in the hot solution and boiled for up to 10 minutes. To allow the cooled halves to dry, leave them in a colander.
- The fruits are placed on a baking sheet in the oven, where they are dried at 50 degrees for about three hours, at the end of the process the temperature is reduced to 35 ° C and dried for the same amount of time, turning the apricots over and over again.
Dried fruits should swell in water and not release juice when pressed. Dried apricots are soft to the touch and do not crack when tapped.
On open air
If the weather is hot and clear, the berries are aired for 4 hours, then laid out on a metal grid, which is placed in the sun. After 4 days, the fruit is transferred to the shade, where the apricots need to be dried until they acquire an orange color.
To preserve more vitamins, the seeds are not removed from the fruits; the berries are dried in the hot rays of the sun for a week, then the apricots are dried in the shade.
Types of dried fruits and storage nuances
Depending on how the berries are cut, whether they are used with seeds or whole, there are several types of apricot drying technologies.
Dried apricots are obtained when the berries are cut in half or dried in quarters. This sweet product is rich in:
- organic acids;
- beta-carotene;
- glucose;
- vitamins;
- fructose.
Dried fruits retain iron, phosphorus, and potassium. Central Asian varieties of apricots are dried in the sun. Dried apricots have a beautiful color that is obtained when the fruits are treated with sulfur dioxide.
The apricot is dried together with the pit. When using this product:
- Digestion is normalized.
- The pressure decreases.
- Vision improves.
Qaisa, which is obtained from uncut fruits that are dried in air, brings considerable benefits to the human body, but the skin of the berries remains intact, since the seed is squeezed out of them.
Dried apricots can be kept in the refrigerator. Dried apricots in a cool room do not spoil for six months. You can find a place to store dried apricots both in a city apartment and in a country house.
Conditions for long-term storage
When preparing any type of apricot product, you must follow a certain technology, otherwise the fruits quickly lose their beneficial properties. Dry fruits do not spoil for a long time at home if you choose the right ones:
- storage space;
- temperature regime;
- packaging material.
Dried apricots can be kept in both the refrigerator and the freezer. In order to enjoy apricots longer, they are placed in a closed cabinet, which is located on the balcony or in the pantry, but dried fruits should not be placed near radiators and stoves, washbasins and bathtubs. Dried apricots are perfectly stored in the country if you take the fruits into the attic.
The temperature in the apartment should not be 20 degrees, but at least 15, otherwise pests will begin to multiply. Dried apricots and dried apricots should be stored in a dark place, but in a separate package. You cannot mix apricots with other fruits, they will lose their taste. It is advisable that the humidity does not exceed 65%.
Which container is suitable
Dried fruits should not be placed in plastic containers, since the aroma in such containers quickly disappears, and the material attracts an unpleasant odor. You cannot store dried apricots in bags made of linen; they quickly become damp.
There is no need to put dried fruits in a plastic bag, the fruits become moldy and oxidize in a metal box.
Dried apricots, apricots, and kaisa are stored well in a glass jar, they do not lose their smell or taste, but such containers must be sealed hermetically. You can place dried apricots in a ceramic container, as long as the lid fits tightly. Dried fruits stored in a cardboard box or wooden box do not spoil for a month. In a jar with a vacuum system, insects do not grow, which significantly increases the shelf life of the fruit.
When placing dried apricots in the freezer, you need to wrap them in foil. If dried apricots are stored correctly, they do not absorb the smell of other products, do not lose their aroma, and delight with a pleasant taste.
Pests and ways to combat them
If you place dried fruits in an unsuitable container and do not follow the storage regime, insects often appear in the form of mites, all kinds of bugs, and moths. If such guests have already arrived, pour the apricots onto a baking sheet, put them in the oven, and heat them at 75 degrees for about an hour.
You can protect dried fruits from insect invasion by using one of 3 methods. Fruit storage containers should be treated with a bite diluted in the same amount of water. A bag of mint leaves is hung next to the apricots. Laundry soap helps save dried berries from moths. Insects do not tolerate this smell, but to prevent the fruit from becoming saturated with such an aroma, they must be hermetically sealed.
Shelf life of dried apricots
How long apricots or dried apricots will be stored largely depends on the packaging in which the products are located, as well as on compliance with the temperature regime.
Dried apricots will not spoil all month long if you place them on a shelf or leave them on the table. In the dark, they do not lose either taste or smell for six months.However, you need to open the package of dried berries at least once every 4 weeks to check for mold or moths. If you find a spoiled apricot, you will have to throw away the entire drying batch. When identifying an insect:
- Fruits are frozen.
- Place in boiling water for an hour.
- Wash and dry.
Pests rarely breed in the refrigerator; dried fruits are stored for 10 to 12 months; it is better to pack apricots in small containers. If you place dried fruits in foil and leave them in the freezer, they will not spoil or lose their beneficial properties for up to 2 years.
