Apricot - description
Apricot - one of the types of dried apricots. It differs in the presence of seeds, but in many Asian countries any dried apricots are so called. In total, three types of dried fruits made from sweet apricots are known: dried apricots and kaisa without a bone, apricots with a bone. To obtain Kaiss from whole dried fruits, the bone is squeezed out. Dried apricots are dried halves of fruits. Apricot in the most correct way is dried directly on the tree.
Today, this method is almost never used in industrial production - apricots are dried using chemicals. Of course, the most useful and valuable properties from Mother Nature are preserved only when dried fruits are obtained directly from the tree, having a connection with it until the very last moments. Therefore, if we talk about the benefits, apricot is in the first place. Usually the smallest apricots or wild varieties are used for this type of dried fruit.
This apricot is an expensive pleasure, because it can be tasted only in the places where wild varieties grow - Kazakhstan, a little in Uzbekistan, China, Kyrgyzstan. Wild apricot is listed in the Red Book as an endangered variety. The Romans call dried apricot “Armenian apple”, suggesting that Armenia is the birthplace of a yellow sweet fruit with a bone. Perhaps this is so, but then the cultivation of the fruit dates back to times older than 5,000 years. This figure describes the time when it began to grow in China. Compared to this, in Europe apricots began to grow only “some” 2,000 years ago.
Apricot - useful properties
Apricot has a high nutritional value. In Central Asia, he is considered a gift from Allah, even tales and poems are written about him. Despite its high sugar content, it is a natural “fat burner”. Residents of areas where apricots are grown, worship it as a means for the treatment and prevention of many diseases, as well as maintaining beauty and longevity.
There are many organic acids, complex sugars, vitamins of group B and beta carotene. Among the minerals found sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron. It has a lot of potassium, so for people with cardiovascular diseases and digestive disorders, it is advisable to use it constantly. The presence of magnesium in it explains the positive effect of hypertension, it is also useful to use it for problems with vision and as a tonic rejuvenating agent. Apricot include special magnesium diet. Residents of areas where apricot is more accessible, less likely to suffer fractures, as strengthened bone tissue. For the same reason, hair and skin are always in order, at least the probability of cancer is reduced by several times. To do this, it is enough to use 100 grams of dried fruit per day. Contraindications to it are practically non-existent.
Apricot - caloric
Calorie apricot - 278 kcal per 100 grams of product.
Apricot - use in cooking
Factory processing of apricot in the process of drying includes fumigation with sulfur. The resulting fruits should not contain more than 16-19% moisture. Of them prepare many dishes, desserts and drinks, for example, sorbet, jam, jam. A large range of application - the preparation of sauces for sweet and sour meat dishes of Oriental cuisine.
Sample recipes with dried apricots
Recipe 1: Pilaf with dried apricots and red pepper
Until our time has come one of the legends of Tamerlane. It tells about the pilaf brewed in an old boiler, from which sparks flew on a fire. Before the march to Ankara, one mullah left Tamerlan’s recipe for lamb pilaf. The rice in the cauldron swells with pride: after all, there will be his most courageous warriors. Young carrots turn red with joy, a sharp onion is able to sting like the sword of the Emir himself. And of course, apricot - cook the dish should be on the fire for a long time, until the smell reaches Allah. At this point, the cook will fall from exhaustion - after all, he has prepared a divine dish.
Today everything is much simpler - we prepare delicious pilaf with apricot smell and taste of mutton. The difference between this particular recipe is that the meat is stewed separately until cooked, so it is soft and light.
Ingredients: Apricot (1, 5 cups), lamb meat (750 grams), carrots (3-4 pcs.), Rice (1.5 cups), sesame oil (1 cup), red hot pepper (1 tsp.), Dill seeds, saffron, parsley, boiling water (1 cup).
Method of preparation
Cut the meat into large pieces and fry in vegetable oil. When browned - add finely chopped onion, carrot sliced into large longitudinal slices (about as french fries). Stew as usual pilaf. Then remove the meat from the vegetables and boil it in a small amount of boiling water until cooked. Put the meat in a separate pan, pour the broth into the vegetables. Fall asleep rice, spices, pepper, spices. Cook the rice until all the moisture evaporates, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. After 10-15 minutes, remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Then mix the pilaf and place the meat on top. A little sweat and you can lay out the plates, sprinkled with greens.
Recipe 2: Apricot Sorbet
Sherbet is a sweet oriental drink made from dried fruit. From apricot it turns out just great. Sherbet can be thick and liquid, used as a drink or as an additive to various dishes. It is sweeter than compote and more saturated, the amount of sugar and dried apricots should be the same. You can mix apricot with other dried fruits - raisins, dried apricots.
Ingredients: water (2, 5 liters), sugar (300 grams), apricot (300 grams).
Method of preparation
Rinse well apricot, dip in water, add sugar. Boil until soft. Strain and serve immediately.
Recipe 3: Homemade patties with dried apricots
Patties from ordinary yeast dough for frying. There are a lot of recipes, you can take the ready-made dough from the store, only you need to calculate the time before it is unfrozen. Stuffing with dried apricots - soak the dried fruits for several hours, then remove the bones and let the water drain.
Ingredients: margarine (220 grams), sour cream (150 grams), milk (300 grams), sugar (400 grams), salt of eggs (4 pieces). Stuffing from apricot (400 grams).
Method of preparation
Prepare the dough in a sponge manner, make balls of about 20-25 grams (the size of an egg), let them lie for 5-10 minutes. Form the pies, put the mince in the middle, brush the eggs around the edges and let stand again for several minutes. When the dough fits, the patties will increase in size - bake in a fairly hot oven (temperature 200-220 degrees C, time - 15-20 minutes).
Recipe 4: Cheesecake with dried apricots
Ingredients: cottage cheese (500 grams), sugar, dried apricots (150 grams), nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, 1 cup), eggs (2 pieces), flour (0. 5 cups), butter (3 spoons), salt.
Method of preparation Spread the nuts in a mortar, mix with chopped dried apricots. Dough: wipe through a sieve of cottage cheese, add flour, butter, whisk everything. Combine everything and mix thoroughly. Put the dough in a greased form and bake in the oven. Serve with sour cream, you can sprinkle with powdered sugar or pour honey.
Recipe 5: Apricot jam
The recipe is simple, and at the same time original. In principle, the jam is cooked in the classical way, in several stages. The difficulty lies only in the extraction of ingredients - kernels from pits.
Ingredients: seedless dried apricot (2 kg), water (1 liter) sugar (1.5 kg).
Method of preparation
Wash and dry apricot. Cut the dried fruits in half and remove the bones. From the kernels, remove the kernels and add to the pulp. Put sugar in a saucepan and set on fire. Cook until a homogeneous syrup is obtained. Put the apricot in it, mix and bring to a boil. Turn off the fire, remove the foam and wait until the jam has cooled completely (10 hours). Put the jam on the fire again, stir and bring to a boil. Again, remove the foam and wait for the jam to cool. Add the kernels from apricot seeds and boil for 10-15 minutes on low heat. We pour into prepared jars and roll up the lids. Wrap and turn, cool.
Apricot - useful tips from experienced chefs
For proper operation of the stomach is useful to prepare apricot infusion. To do this, pour a glass of fruit with boiling water in an enamel pan and wrap it warmly. Insist a little less than a day (15-20 hours). Strain the infusion and drink several times a day. Isfarak or Kandak varieties are best suited.
