In China (in its historical homeland), apricot has been grown for more than five thousand years, in Europe - about two thousand. Dried apricots without seed are called dried apricots or kaisa, with a bone - apricot.
Before drying, seeds from apricots can be extracted in two ways. If for this they are cut in half, then the dried fruit is called dried apricots, and if the bone is squeezed out without breaking the skin, a kaisa is obtained. Uryuk is dried apricots with pits. In Asian countries, however, any kind of fresh apricots is called apricot.
They are dried in special places in a natural shade for 6-8 days. To get a kilogram of dried fruit, you need three to four kilograms of fresh apricots.
The leader in popularity on the Russian market today, of course, is dried apricots. Vitamins in dried fruit are much less than in fresh, but the content of minerals (potassium, copper, cobalt, manganese, iron, calcium, phosphorus and others) is greater than in many fruits just removed from a tree. Dried apricot contains many organic acids (nicotinic, citric, salicylic) and pectins, which radionuclides are well removed from the body. The high content of sucrose, fructose and glucose makes dried apricots so sweet.
These dried fruits are especially useful for heart diseases, anemia, and low vision, as a general strengthening agent. They help eliminate blockage of blood vessels, rejuvenate the skin, strengthen hair and even soften hard tumors. Plant fibers perfectly cleanse the intestines.
Dried apricot is a dietary product, because it contains a lot of potassium salts, which significantly exceed the level of sodium salts. Magnesium makes it useful for treating hypertension and anemia. In dried apricots there is a lot of vitamin B1,2,5; WITH; R. Carotene is no less in it than in chicken yolk.
Dried apricots is a concentrated product. If fresh apricots contain 2 grams of fiber per 100 g of product, then in dry apricots - 18 grams (i.e. 9 times more). Therefore, you need to use it in reasonable quantities so as not to get an upset stomach or intestines. A day you can not eat more than 80-100 grams of dried fruit. This amount of dried apricots, by the way, has the same effect on the hematopoiesis process as a quarter kilogram of fresh beef liver or 40 mg of iron preparation.
In Central Asia, dried apricot is called exclusively the gift of Allah, due to its healing properties. It is useful for diseases of the nervous system, cleanses blood vessels, treats tumors, helps fight colds (it has an antipyretic effect) and migraines. It has tonic properties, helps to cope with chronic fatigue. It is also useful to eat for people who suffer from kidney diseases. The ability of dried apricots to improve memory and stimulate brain activity is known. Its iodine has a good lipotropic and anticholesterol effect.
Dried apricot for diabetes is contraindicated. You can’t eat these dried fruits on an empty stomach even after indigestible food.
When buying, you need to pay attention to the appearance of dried fruits. The best dried apricots are clean, large, golden, slightly transparent in appearance, of medium elasticity and stiffness. Natural dried apricots should not be bright orange in color: this color is achieved through dyes. Choose paler fruits that are most similar in appearance to fresh fruits.
In cooking, dried apricot is very widely used, as it is equally successfully used both in the preparation of desserts and as an original ingredient in meat dishes. Compotes are cooked from dried apricots, pilaf, sauces and even soups are cooked. It gives the dishes a pleasant sweet taste and great aroma.
Store dried fruits in a dry, dark place.