Dried Apricots

About dried apricots

The process of drying fruit can affect a portion of its nutritional content. Dried apricots are an example of a situation where drying them actually enables the dried fruit to provide a higher level of many nutrients than fresh apricots provide. It takes self-discipline to convert from an unhealthy diet to a health-conscious diet. When you have an option, such as dried apricots, in your health-conscious diet, an opportunity is made available to diversify your standard recipes and snack options so that you don’t become bored with your newly adopted, healthy diet. It’s both frugal and convenient to make dried apricots bulk purchases. If you’re on a low sodium diet, dried apricots are a treat or recipe ingredient you can enjoy without worry. This tasty dried fruit contains no carbohydrates and no saturated fat. Dried apricots are ideal for anyone concerned with blood pressure management or those who are focused on a heart-healthy diet. Dried apricots can be included in granola recipes and homemade trail mix or stirred into cereal or oatmeal. When using dried apricots in certain recipes, you may need to re-hydrate them. If you plan on using them in a stew or to make a delectable compote, such as one you can serve over warm French toast, you’ll need to soak them prior to using them. A partial re-hydration is all that’s needed when you add dried apricots to a bread or stuffing recipe. A sprinkling of chopped, partially re-hydrated apricots can add a surprising sweetness to an ordinary salad. Typically the quality of the ingredients used in a recipe directly affects how delicious the end result is. When you buy dried apricots, purchasing the best dried apricots, will help assure that the dishes you prepare will delight your taste buds.

How to dry apricots

If you have some extra time on your hands, you can dry apricots in your oven, in natural sunlight or in a dehydrator. To dry apricots, you must cut them in half, remove the stone and place them on a tray or pan to dry. The drying process takes 12 hours or more when you use a dehydrator or oven. If you don’t want to spend time going through the preparation process and waiting period, you can avoid all of that if you simply buy dried apricots online.

Dried apricots nutrition

When you buy dried apricots, you’re making an investment in your health. In just one cup of dried apricots, you’ll get 19% DV of fiber. Fiber helps reduce LDL and total cholesterol levels. It also aids in digestion and helps prevent constipation. Studies show that the typical American diet is low in potassium. Dried apricots are an excellent source of potassium. They also provide calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin E. When you include dried apricots in your diet, you’ll be getting a good amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A functions as an antioxidant to support immune function. It also plays a significant role in maintaining good eye health. When you buy dried apricots, you are purchasing what is considered to be one of the healthiest dry fruit options available. The calorie count of dried apricots is higher than some other, possibly less healthy, snack options. However, when you need a high-energy snack to get you through a morning or afternoon slump, help you reach the end of a hiking or biking adventure or simply nudge you through a tiring activity, a handful of dried apricots is an excellent choice. Not only will you get the burst of energy you need, you’ll also be stocking up on lots of beneficial nutrients that can help you body in numerous ways.