Bella Adams
Dried apricots are dried fruit produced from apricot fruits by natural drying for a week in the sun.
There are several types of dried apricots:
- Uryuk – dried small apricots with pits.
- Dried apricots – dried apricot halves without seeds. Large fruits are usually used in this case.
- Kaisa – dried whole apricots, from which the stone has been previously squeezed.
Selection and storage of dried apricots
When buying dried apricots in a store or on the market, you should pay attention to several main indicators of the product’s high quality, including color, skin condition, and structure.
The color of dried apricots should be natural dark orange or dark brown, without bright shades of orange or red. The presence of such colors indicates the chemical treatment of the product.
The skin should be free of dark spots, impurities, and unnatural shine and have an elastic structure.
To check dried apricots for the presence of dyes, they must be immersed in cold water for 5-10 minutes. If the water has changed its color, it means that the product has been chemically dyed.
Nutritional value of dried apricots
Although dried apricots belong to the category of dried fruits, most of them are made up of water. 100 g of dried apricots contain about 70 g of water. The next step, in terms of quantitative composition, belongs to carbohydrates – 25.1 g. Dietary fibers in dried apricots amount to a little more than 4 g, which is 20% of the daily norm needed by an adult. There are proteins in dried apricots – 1.17 g and very little fat – 0.15 g. The calorie content of dried apricots is 232 kcal per 100 g.
The content of vitamins and minerals in 100 g of dried apricots:
- Vitamin A – 3600 mg.
- Vitamin C 1.4 mg.
- Vitamin B6 0.1 mg.
- Calcium 55 mg.
- Iron 2.7 mg.
- Magnesium 32 mg.
- Phosphorus 38 mg.
- Potassium 443 mg.
- Copper 0.14 mg.
In the process of drying ripe, juicy, aromatic apricots, when they magically turn into dried fruits, of course, some useful substances with which nature has generously awarded fresh apricots are lost. Vitamins evaporate mainly. But the most stable ones still remain.
Useful properties of dried apricots
- Dried apricots are an exceptional food for “hearts”. The high content of potassium salts has the most favorable effect on the work of the cardiovascular system, helping to regulate blood pressure.
- A large amount of iron contained in dried apricots increases the level of hemoglobin.
- Dried apricots should be used in case of anemia, anemia, as well as during pregnancy when the amount of hemoglobin decreases naturally.
- People who take diuretics are advised to eat dried apricots to prevent the leaching of potassium from the body.
- In addition, dried apricot has a mild laxative effect, helps to cleanse the intestines, and normalizes peristalsis.
- Pectin and fiber contribute to cleansing the body as a whole, removing harmful substances, toxins, slags, compounds of heavy metals, and radionuclides, contributing to the reduction of harmful cholesterol in blood vessels.
- Carotene, which apricots are rich in, is vital for the organs of vision.
The harmful effect of dried apricots
The features of dried apricots contribute to lowering blood pressure, so hypotensive patients should eat dried apricots with caution.
People with excess weight and diabetics should not abuse dried apricots, especially their sweet varieties. In these cases, it is better to consult a doctor.
Healthy people should not be tempted to eat more dried apricots than they should. Nutritionists consider 100 g of dried apricots to be the best option for an adult. If you take them individually, then five medium fruits are what you need. You can eat everything at once, or you can stretch out the pleasure for the whole day.
