Apricots are very useful for vitamin deficiencies, anemia, cardiovascular and many other diseases, as they contain many vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Their beneficial properties are best preserved in dried fruits - dried apricots, which can be prepared from fresh fruits at home.
For drying, take well-ripened healthy apricots with firm pulp and well-separating pits. Wash and dry the fruit thoroughly to remove excess moisture. Divide them in half and remove the pits.
At home, apricots can be dried in the oven or in dry weather in the air, or by combining both methods, but in any case, you need sheets for layout, which can be used as baking sheets, trays or nets on wooden frames.
To dry in the oven, line the baking trays with baking paper, arrange the apricots with the slices facing up, place in the oven and dry at 50-60 ° C for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Then open the oven and let the fruit cool down, then repeat the procedure until the apricots no longer release juice when squeezed (5-6 times).
You can do it differently: place the prepared apricot halves in a colander or sieve and soak for 5-10 minutes over boiling water to keep their natural color. Dry the fruits from excess moisture on a clean cotton cloth, and then place them on a baking sheet covered with paper and place them in an oven preheated to 65 ° C for 8-10 hours. Cool the dried apricots, transfer to a wooden box with a tight-fitting lid, leave for 3 weeks, and then store in a dry, well-ventilated place. This method will help preserve all the beneficial properties of apricots.
To air dry, lay the prepared fruits on sheets, stand for 3-4 hours in the shade, then take them out in the sun, and put them under a roof or shed overnight. Further, apricots can be dried in the shade: in a private house - in the attic, veranda or in a gazebo, in a city apartment - on a balcony or loggia. Excessive sun exposure can give dried apricots an ugly baked look.
The combined method of drying apricots is as follows: first, the fruits are kept in the sun for 3-4 hours, then for 1 hour in an oven heated to 50-60 ° C, after which they are sent to dry in the shade.
Keep in mind that dried apricots cooked at home will look different from the store ones, since the latter is fumigated with sulfur dioxide in order to preserve its presentation in production.
