What are the benefits of dried apricots? What are or what are dried apricots called? About the use of beneficial properties

Today we will tell you about what dried fruits such as apricots and dried apricots are. The difference between these products will also be described in this article. In addition, from it you will learn why they are useful and how they are produced.

General information

Apricot is the fruit of the tree of the same name, which belongs to the plum genus and the rose family. This fruit is very juicy. It is a single-drupe fruit that has a yellowish-red color. The shape of the apricot is round, elliptical or obovate. It has a longitudinal groove in the middle.

The stone of this fruit is thick-walled, rough or smooth. The skin of the apricot is velvety-pubescent and has a yellowish-orange color. As a rule, there is almost always a one-sided reddish tan on one side of this fruit.

In cultivated varieties, the fruit pulp is very juicy and sweet. As for wild apricots, they are coarser-fibered and have a bitter taste. Most often, the fruits ripen in June-August. At this time of year, the price of apricots is significantly lower than in other months.

What is made from apricots?

Dried apricots - all these products have a direct connection. After all, it is from apricot fruits make these dried fruits. In addition, juicy and fresh fruits very often used for cooking delicious jams, jam and jam. Apricots are also well suited for canning in syrup and creating juice with pulp.

Apricots and dried apricots: the difference

Both apricots and dried apricots are dried apricots. They can be easily found in a store or market. As a rule, such ingredients are used for making compotes, baked goods, apricot vodka, jam, and also for regular consumption. But not everyone knows the difference between apricots and dried apricots. Their difference lies in the drying method. As we found out above, both dried fruits presented are made from fresh apricots. However, for the production of dried apricots the fruits are used without seeds, and for apricots - with seeds.

How are dried apricots made?

Dried apricots are dried apricots without seeds. To produce it, you need to take ripe ones and then wash them thoroughly. Next, you need to make a small cut in the middle of the apricot and carefully remove the pit.

In order for the fruit to be preserved even after drying, the processed fruit should be placed in water to which citric acid. After a few minutes, the apricot needs to be removed and dried. It is recommended to do this in the oven or under the sun.

Of course, the production method of drying apricots differs significantly from the home method. That is why, after purchasing dried apricots in the store, you should rinse them thoroughly, since entrepreneurs very often add various chemicals to them to make them look beautiful.

How are apricots made?

Now you know that dried pitted apricots are called dried apricots. It should be noted that this particular product is most popular among consumers. As for apricots, most often they buy them only for making compotes. Thanks to the presence of a seed, such a product makes homemade drink especially tasty and rich. However, it is practically not used for preparing other desserts. What is this connected with? The fact is that dried apricots have practically no pulp. In this regard, it is quite problematic to use it for preparing various desserts or for regular consumption. However, such a product still has advantages. Its price is significantly lower than the cost of dried apricots.

How are apricots made? To prepare it, small and not very fleshy apricots are used. They are washed thoroughly and then dried in special dryers, oven or in the sun. The cooking time for apricots is much longer than for dried apricots. After all, a product with a pit takes much longer to dry. By the way, during mass production, chemicals are much less often added to apricots. Therefore it appearance after drying it leaves much to be desired. Although it is precisely this fact that makes it more useful and nutritious.

The benefits of dried apricots

Are apricots and dried apricots, the differences between which we discussed above, beneficial for the body? Of course yes. Dried apricots represent good food for cores. After all, it contains a lot of potassium salts, which has a beneficial effect on work cardiovascular system. Moreover, the presence of this element helps to increase hemoglobin levels and regulate blood pressure.

It is advisable to consume dried apricots during anemia, pregnancy and anemia. It should also be noted that dried apricot can provide soft laxative effect, and normalizing its peristalsis. It is impossible not to say that the carotene contained in dried apricots is extremely necessary for a person to maintain good condition of the visual organs.

The benefits of apricots

If you have circulatory problems and anemia, apricots should be included in your diet. It contains magnesium salts, which makes it an excellent remedy from hypertension. It should also be noted that in those regions where this product present in diet all year round, residents very rarely experience fractures. After all, apricots strengthen bone tissue, and also promote hair growth and skin beauty.

Experts have proven that consuming this dried fruit prevents the development of For this, a person only needs to consume 100 g of apricots per day.

Like dried apricots, this product has a diuretic effect. A decoction of it quickly relieves swelling.

Let's sum it up

Now you know the difference between apricots and dried apricots. The two named products are equally useful for human body. It should be said that in Central Asia, local residents consider these dried fruits to be gifts from Allah. Poems and fairy tales have even been written about their healing properties and benefits.

But in order for such products to truly have a beneficial effect on the body, they must be chosen correctly. Experts do not recommend chasing glossy and beautiful dried fruits. The worse a product looks, the more likely it is that it contains no chemicals.

Richest gifts of Uzbekistan- these are juicy and sweet fruits, berries and vegetables, which from early spring to late autumn delights the eye and the insatiable belly. One of the first fruit trees blooms dried apricots. What is apricot? Mmmm, this is a very tasty, sweet and sunny fruit!

Dried apricots(uzb. Urik) - essentially the same apricot, but its Central Asian varieties have some species and taste differences. In apricots, smaller varieties are called, and apricots are large and beautiful fruits. Some people believe that dried apricots suitable only for drying, but this is far from the truth, because... apricots are, first of all, a pleasure bright taste, aroma and juiciness of hot summer.

Early apricot varieties They begin to bloom in March, and snow may fall at the same time - this creates a striking picture of the struggle between winter and spring: blooming apricot and snow flakes, which, however, will melt in a couple of days. Cities and suburbs are filled with divine aromas blooming apricots, they are replaced by cherry and plum trees, cherry plums, apple trees, quince and much more.

The apricot begins to ripen in the spring, or rather, it tries to keep up, since children pick it while still green, unripe - a green delicacy for noisy children of all times. Since demand creates supply, such unripe goods can even be found on sale. The bazaars often sell small apricot with “freckles” (brown small dots), they should not confuse you, it is just as tasty and harmless.

Favorable natural conditions make it possible to grow in Uzbekistan various varieties apricots - from early spring varieties to late autumn ones (Sentyabrsky, Namagansky), and also dry it outdoors - in the shade under the wings of a warm breeze. Mostly apricot gardens are found in the Fergana green valley, Tashkent, Surkhandarya and Zarafshan regions.

There are many varieties of apricots, differing in shape, color and taste. Apricots can be large and very small (less than walnut), bright orange and whitish, with or without a red blush, a little fleecy and “bald”.

Separate apricot varieties Great for drying. These are varieties such as Isfarak, Mirsanjali, while other varieties are table varieties and are used for food and compotes. The apricot, which is used for drying, is very fleshy, has dense pulp, and therefore, when dried, the fruit is preserved almost entirely. There are varieties of apricots that are easily divided into two halves, and their pit is quickly separated from the pulp, while in others the pit is tightly immersed in the pulp - such apricot is dried together with the pit. There are several main types of dried apricots(apricot): do not remove from the tree until they are completely dry (apricot fruits are dried together with the pit); V natural conditions outdoors (in the shade or in the sun) - it turns out kaisa- whole, pitted apricots removed from the tree and dried; fumigate apricot halves with sulfur - the result is soft and juicy dried apricots.

Golden orange dried apricots And dried apricots very good for health. Thanks to special processing, this type of dried fruit is preserved for a long time and does not lose its presentation during long-term transportation. Before eating, it is better to rinse dried apricots in boiling water. To make dried apricots soft, you can soak them in hot water for more long time, and the resulting infusion is also very tasty and healthy.

Dried fruits- This is a concentrate of vitamins. The moisture evaporates from the fruit, and only the taste remains. Therefore, it is useful to eat dried fruits in winter, replacing artificial pharmacy vitamins with natural ones. Dried fruits are eaten in pure form, used in baking, or boiled from them delicious compote. If you want to cook dried fruit compote, we recommend adding sugar after the compote is cooked and strained. Although for those who don't like sugary taste, you don’t need to add sugar at all - dried fruits have enough sweetness.

Dried apricots and in general dried fruits It is better to store them in a cloth bag so that they “breathe”. A little moisture remains in dried fruits, so they can quickly become moldy in plastic bags.

Table varieties of apricot contain more juice, so they cannot be dried - even if you dry such fruits, only a hard, inedible skin will remain. Therefore, if you are at your garden plots tried to dry apricots (apricots) and it didn’t work, don’t be disappointed - it just requires certain Central Asian varieties.

Uruk contains large number useful substances : organic acids, vitamins, minerals , dietary fiber , vegetable protein And complex carbohydrates. Despite the fact that apricots are very sweet, they are a natural “fat burner”, and the complex carbohydrates that make up them are easily digestible and do not turn into fat.

Apricots are eaten raw and made into a drink - urik sharbati(apricot juice), dried (turshak, kaisa, dried apricots), boil (jams, preserves, compotes), prepare marshmallows. I often use apricot jams in sweet samosas, pancakes and pies. Uryuk is good to eat with something bready, for example, with hot Uzbek flatbreads.

Are used and apricot seeds, they are made from shurdanak- an incomparable delicacy of Central Asia - these are unrefined salty apricot kernels grayish (white) color, slightly split along the seam. They acquire this color during the cooking process - salted apricot kernels baked in ash. It’s almost impossible to stop eating these seeds! In addition, peeled apricot seeds and various oriental sweets of them.

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Hello, dear readers!

The indigenous people of Central Asia have long been convinced that the only type of dried apricot that truly has healing qualities is an apricot.

However, today many Russians, when buying dried fruits from this range at markets or supermarkets, give preference to large, bright orange dried apricots with ideal shapes.

However, not everyone understands that under the outwardly beautiful shell there is usually sulfur dioxide, which can negatively affect human health.

So, what is apricot? Why do Georgian, Uzbek or Tajik elders consider him panacea from all diseases and a gift from Allah himself? Today I will try to lift the veil on this issue in my article. And you will find out what it looks like, what characteristics it has and how it should be eaten.

Unlike industrial technologies production of dried fruits, real apricots are dried directly on tree branches, naturally, without preservatives, heat treatment or fumigation with sulfur.

Traditionally, they choose small fruits apricots, which “ripen” in natural conditions until completely dehydrated, saturated with the energy of the Sun and Earth. Usually apricots are obtained from such varieties wild apricots, like:

Isfarak;
Zarzara;
Zherdel;
Kandak;
Mirsanjali.

After all, they:

They have optimal sizes for drying ripe fruits, similar to.
They have dense fleshy pulp.
When dried, the fruit is preserved almost entirely along with the stone.

After the liquid from these fruits evaporates, a concentrate of flavor and benefits for the human body remains:

Vitamins of group A, C, P, PP, B;
Fiber;
Malic, citric, tartaric and salicylic acids;
Beta carotene;
Potassium;
Sodium;
Calcium;
Gland;
Yoda;
Phosphorus;
Pectin;
Tannins;
Simple and complex carbohydrates;
Unsaturated fatty acids;
Dietary fiber;
Plant proteins.

A real proper apricot looks quite unpretentious and is a whole dried fruit with a seed. It has wrinkled skin of an indistinct brown hue.

And the bone located inside the dried fruit is not very convenient for further use. Because of this, many give preference, thus not receiving all the vitamins and minerals that they are rich in. fresh apricots, but which are 100% present in dried apricots.

What are the benefits of apricots?

Dried apricots are high in energy food product. The calorie content of 100 grams of this dried fruit is 213 kcal. Its vitamin and mineral complex helps a person maintain health, beauty, youth, and longevity for a long time.

Thanks to the combination of unique biologically active substances in its composition, it has incredibly high natural properties:

General strengthening;
Anti-aging;
Cleansing;
Antioxidant;
Fat burning;
Immunostimulating;
Diuretics;
Antispasmodic;
Anthelmintic properties.

At the same time, chocolate or mountain dried apricots. It is very sweet, fleshy, pleasant to the taste and has a beautiful dark brown hue. It is successfully used by athletes to activate protein synthesis during physical activity and increase muscle growth.

Followers healthy eating They replace them with pharmaceutical vitamin preparations. And traditional healers use this dried fruit as a natural immunomodulator. Even modern medicine does not deny the benefits of apricots in treatment. various diseases. Because it promotes:

Removing bad cholesterol or toxic metabolic products from the body;
Inhibition of putrefactive bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract;
Increasing the body's defenses and performance;
Improving the condition of the skin, nail plates or hair;
Sharpening of vision;
Strengthening bone tissue;
Alkalinization of the body;
Replenishment of vitamin deficiency;
Slowing down tissue aging;
Breakdown of fats;
Relieving fatigue;
Regulation of water-lithium balance;
Normalization of cardiac activity;
Prevention of vitamin deficiency.

What's the other side of the coin?

Although there are very few contraindications to consuming apricots, in some cases it can harm our body. This should be especially taken into account by those people who:

Has an individual intolerance to it.
Suffering allergic reaction for beta carotene.
If you overuse this dried fruit, you may gain extra pounds.

At the same time, many experts advise limiting the consumption rate or even exclude from the diet apricot nutrition:

Diabetics;
Hypotonics;
Nursing women;
People suffering from obesity or diarrhea.

How does a person use apricots?

Like all types of dried apricots, apricots are a favorite delicacy of many adults and children. In honor of this dried fruit, people have composed various fairy tales, legends, and poems for centuries. Since this solar product not only gives a person true taste pleasure, it also brings great benefit body, but also helps with various ailments. Therefore, I will tell you how it is used:

In cooking

Uryuk can be eaten raw or made from it:

Jam;
Jam;
Compote;
Pastila.

This dried fruit is added to the filling for pancakes, pies, casseroles or used as additional ingredient for pilaf. In other dishes it goes well with:

Low-fat cottage cheese;
Sour cream;
Yogurt;
Carrots;
Pumpkin;
Bread or hot Uzbek flatbreads.

Immediately before use dried apricots follows:

Go through.
Rinse.
Fill warm water for half an hour for swelling.

Then dry it slightly, remove the pit, and then just use the fruit pulp, which can be chopped, passed through a sieve, meat grinder or blender.

For health and beauty

The healing properties of apricots help a person:

Slow down the growth of tumors;
Bring it back to normal blood pressure;
Strengthen the hair follicle;
Neutralize the effects of free radicals;
Improve the health of body cells;
Reduce the risk of cataracts.

Daily use 100 grams This dried fruit shows amazing results in the fight against:

Anemia;
Migraine;
Edema;
Hypertension;
Nervous disorders;
Jade;
Cold;
hiccups;
Whooping cough.

But by eating twenty kernels from apricot seeds a day you can get rid of:

Upper respiratory tract diseases;
Formation of stones in the kidneys or gall bladder;
Oncology developments.

At the same time, the same ground kernels can be used as a cosmetic scrub to make your skin smooth and pleasant, and your hair silky.

Concluding my story, I want to note that today it is very difficult to find real apricots from wild apricots in our retail network. After all, such a product is produced only in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China or Uzbekistan, where regions of their natural growth are still preserved. That's why apricots are included in Red Book.

However, when buying dried apricots, do not choose elegant dried apricots, but a dull, brown and unsightly-looking product. This way you will be sure that it has not been treated with chemicals.

Good health to you! See you!

Many people have a question, what is the difference between apricots and dried apricots. The basis of both types of dried fruits is apricot. - This dried product, which is usually represented by halves of the fruit. Whole products, right with the seeds, are used to prepare apricots.

A special feature is the fact that with the right approach, drying of the workpieces is carried out directly on the tree. It is worth considering that not all apricots are suitable for creating such products, but only certain, rather rare varieties.

Chemical composition and nutritional value of apricots

When prepared according to all the rules, apricots are not subjected to any types of physical or chemical treatment at all. Thanks to this, the substances that make up apricot are preserved in in full. According to nutritionists, these dried fruits In terms of their beneficial properties, they are superior to all other analogues.

Here is a list of the main chemical elements and compounds that give products medicinal properties:

Vitamins A, C, E and group B.
Minerals phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium, iodine and potassium.
Organic acids.
Complex and simple sugars.
Saturated and unsaturated fats.

Advice: The calorie content of apricots is 213 units per 100 g of product and a fairly high level of carbohydrates makes dried fruit not the best component dietary nutrition. Practice shows that it can be extremely difficult for product lovers to balance their diet in such a way that it does not affect their figure. So during the period fasting days or if you are on a diet, it is better to avoid it.

and dietary fiber.

The easiest way to provide the body with all of the listed substances is to prepare a healing “elixir”, based on dried apricots. In the evening, take several apricot fruits, wash them from dust under cool running water, place them in a glass and pour drinking water. In the morning, we simply drink the resulting infusion and eat the softened apricots, spitting out the seeds. In many countries, this dish is used instead of breakfast. It charges you with strength and energy for the whole day.

Useful properties of apricots

According to residents of Central Asia, the benefits of apricots for the body are almost limitless. Nutritionists admit that the product really has a lot useful properties. Regular and correct usage delicious dried products can give the following results:

Vision improves. The eyes stop getting very dry and tired due to prolonged stress (reading, working at the computer).
The overall tone of the body increases. Despite the fact that apricots can be crushed and used as an ingredient for various masks, it is its internal use that helps restore youth and freshness to the skin.
High blood pressure decreases. Dried fruit is necessary for maintaining health in old age. Rich in magnesium, it is a natural cure for hypertension.
The introduction of apricots into the diet reduces the likelihood of the development and growth of cancer tumors several times.
Due to the diuretic properties of the product, you can get rid of edema and remove all excess fluid from the tissues.

The benefits and harms of apricots, their medicinal properties depend on what varieties it is made from. While sweet products calms down nervous system, acidic products are best used to improve the condition of colds. It is not necessary to limit yourself to using the product in its pure form. Made from apricots medicinal tinctures, decoctions, honey mixtures and nut milk. All these preparations have increased efficiency and many therapeutic properties.

Harm of apricots and contraindications for use

Considering the harm and danger of apricots, nutritionists came to the conclusion that negative consequences its introduction into the diet is possible only in case of prolonged abuse of the product. Abundance of fiber combined with high calorie content Dried fruits can cause obesity and problems with the functioning of the digestive system. Do not forget about the hypotensive effect of the composition. With initially low blood pressure, its introduction into the diet can lead to a drop to critical levels. Apricots can be used as a natural laxative for constipation, but you must use caution to avoid the risk of diarrhea.

Potential harm to apricots is also possible when the preparations are treated with sulfur or various chemicals to increase shelf life. The accumulation of these substances in the body occurs gradually, and the deterioration of the condition can occur abruptly. You should not buy products in dubious stores and spontaneous markets. Pregnant and lactating women are better off not taking risks at all and temporarily removing products from their menu, replacing them with less active ingredients.

Rules for selecting, storing and eating apricots

Choosing high-quality, healthy and tasty apricots is not so difficult. The main thing is not to trust the external attractiveness of the blanks, but to pay attention to completely different points:

The best option is considered to be a reddish, inconspicuous and dull apricot. The shiny and appetizing fruits are the result of chemical drying. They may taste pleasant, but there will be no benefit from them. Nutritionists never tire of reminding that such dried fruits pose harm and danger to the body, especially for children.
Contrary to popular belief, apricots are much more expensive than fresh apricots. A high-quality, naturally dried product is generally considered an expensive pleasure if special varieties of apricots are not grown in the garden.
The area from which dried fruits were imported plays an important role. Suitable varieties apricots grow in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and China.

About daily norm There is no specific data on the use of apricots. The optimal volume of the product must be selected independently, based on individual preferences and general condition. We must not forget about the calorie content of the diet.

Apricots, like many other dried fruits, are not too demanding in terms of storage conditions. The hard product is perfectly preserved when room temperature, but it’s better to choose more for him cool place, away from direct sunlight. But you need to keep it away from wet areas. An abundance of moisture leads to softening of the dense skin and damage to the workpiece. Even under such conditions, mold may appear on the surface of products.

Regular consumption of apricots in their pure form, as part of medicinal mixtures and drinks, quickly begins to show its positive side. There are no contraindications to the constant presence of dried apricots in the diet. They are not addictive, their substances do not accumulate in the body, causing negative consequences.

Some dishes of Central Asian cuisine have become firmly established in the diet of the average Russian. Almost everyone has eaten dried apricots at least once, but few people know what apricots are. But in their own way useful qualities the latter is worth its weight in gold in the countries of origin.

Brief information about dried apricot

In tropical countries, apricots are eaten not only in their natural form. fresh, but also in dried form. The shelf life of such a product is much longer than that of ripe fruits, and in addition, it has unique taste.

Depending on the subtleties of fruit drying technology, there are:

Half of the fruit, dried without pit. On sale it is called dried apricots. The color range can vary from bright shades of yellow to almost brown. Products of loud colors with a uniform color throughout the entire volume indicate the use of chemicals during the preparation process and are not recommended for consumption.
The whole fruit without the pit (called kaisoy). Unlike the previous variety, it has a mark from removing the seed, and there is empty space inside.
Ashtak- when making this delicacy, the bone must be removed at the early stages of the process and placed in its original place at the end. This is how it is supposedly possible to achieve unsurpassed taste.
If no tricks were used when drying the apricot, then this product is called apricot.

What is the difference between apricots and dried apricots?

Thus, we found out that the main difference between apricots and dried apricots is fruit drying technology, namely: the first one has a bone inside. But the differences between Eastern gifts do not end there:

Uryuk enjoys much greater popularity and fame. It is described in the folklore of the Turkic peoples: myths, fairy tales and legends. Muslims have known this sweet for several hundred years. According to popular beliefs, it is impossible to remove the seed from a fruit - this will deprive it of an integral natural part.
Fruit with stone can be dried directly on trees without any special chemicals and warehouses. This makes it not only extremely environmentally friendly for your health, but also much cheaper to produce.
Dried apricots have much less nutrients and minerals. Its significance for the human body is limited mainly by its high laxative properties.
Dried apricots are mainly sold abroad, while its “brother” is used by the local population, who know its true price.

Uryuk: benefits and harm

According to the official position of the medical community, dried whole apricot has the following beneficial qualities:

Strengthens the body's defense system as a whole;
Helps in the prevention of diseases of the circulatory system;
Prevents fragility of bones and joints;
Often used as a quick-acting remedy for headaches and nausea;
High diuretic and laxative effect;
It is also known to be used as an expectorant;
Contains essential vitamins to promote eye health;
Can be included in the daily diet of people with diabetes;
Protection against seasonal acute respiratory diseases.

However, you should not rush to consume kilograms of this southern delicacy:

Apricots significantly relieve blood pressure, so it is best not to be consumed by people with hypotension;
If you eat a significant amount of these fruits, severe diarrhea will begin;
Not recommended for women carrying a child.

Composition and nutritional value of apricots

The delicacy contains the following beneficial substances:

Proteins;
High concentration fatty acids;
Simple colorless forms of sugar;
Iron;
Triglycerides;
Amino acids, some of which are essential for human health;
Polysaccharides, the monomer of which is alpha-glucose;
Organic substances with acidic properties;
Fiber;
Macroelements;
Thiamine, retinol, riboflavin, tocopherols;
Beta carotene.

The energy value reaches 200 calories per 100 g of product, and the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is 10/1/100. Therefore, each person can consume several shares of the product daily without fear of ruining their figure. It is especially useful to take apricots in the first half of the day during meals.

The high qualities of apricots make it an indispensable ingredient in a number of dishes, as well as the highlight of many traditional medicine recipes.

Cooking at home

Difficulties in purchasing apricots in regular stores push many housewives to prepare gourmet food with your own hands. Fortunately, doing this is not so difficult:

Before cooking, you should select fruits that are large in size, but quite hard and with a significant amount of sugar. To receive quality product the fruit needs to contain about 1/5 sugar in its composition. It must be borne in mind that when dried, the weight of the fruit will drop several times.
To get an even color, place the fruits in a colander and evaporate for 8 minutes. Some housewives simply boil the apricots for a few minutes in a saucepan. Then you need to put the wet fruit on cheesecloth and let it sit for a while to allow the water to drain.
To obtain a uniform yellow You can also use a weak solution of citric acid.
Immediately before drying, apricots should be kept in the shade for three hours, and only then placed in the scorching sun. With the onset of darkness, the fruits are taken indoors. The cooking time can last about 7-14 days, depending on the climate.
Ready apricots that have lost 90% of their moisture can be easily identified by the plasticity that appears in the product. It is pleasant to the touch and has an orange-brown color.

Apricot, sun-dried for a week with the pit inside- that's what apricots are. It is not so often found on Russian shelves, because consumers prefer more beautiful-looking and seedless fruits. It's a pity: apricots are actually sweet medicine.