Dehydrating Apricots

By dehydrating apricots when they are plentiful, you can have delicious apricot jam, apricot compote, pies, sauces—on hand, year'round—in addition to your other dehydrated fruit!

Thankfully Apricots are readily available frozen, so this is the easy way to create your own private stock when fresh apricots are not available!

You Can Make Fabulous Apricot Jam!

If you’ve ever wondered how to make apricot jam, you’ve come to the right place. This delicious preserves is easy to make at home, and it’s a great way to use up any extra apricots you may have.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of apricots, pitted and chopped
• 3 cups of sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Directions:

1. To make the jam, start by combining the apricots, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a large pot. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil.
2. Once the mixture is boiling, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the apricots are very soft and the jam is thick.
3. Once the jam is finished cooking, remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, use a spoon to ladle it into jars or other containers. Be sure to seal the jars tightly and store them in the fridge.

And that’s all there is to it! Now you know how to make apricot jam at home. Give it a try the next time you have some extra apricots on hand - or get busy dehydrating apricots for long-term storage!

Apricot Nutrition Info.

Apricots have a lovely velvety skin, smell delicious, and are a fantastic source of vitamin A, followed by vitamin C, and vitamin E, with trace amounts of Folate, Choline, vitamin K, Niacin and vitamin B6.

Apricots contain these minerals: Potassium, Phosphorus, Calcium, Magnesium, with trace amounts of Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Copper and Manganese. Apricots also have Omega-6 fatty acids.

Dehydrating Apricots—
Fresh Apricots Need a Syrup Blanch

If using frozen apricots, ignore steps 1, 2 and 3.

1. First, prepare your fresh apricots by washing them, cut them in half, and remove the pits.
2. Next we will syrup-blanch the apricots by preparing a mixture of one cup of sugar, 1 cup of light corn syrup, and 2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then add no more than 2 pounds of prepared fruit to the pan and simmer gently for around 10 minutes.
3. Let them cool in the syrup in the pan, for a good half hour. Lightly rinse with clean cold water.
4. Arrange the apricots on your dehydrator trays, making sure they don't overlap. If you are using an Excalibur dehydrator, you may wish to leave out alternating trays if you find that your apricot halves are too cramped in-between the trays. I find the Nesco dehydrator better suited for dehydrating apricots due to the spacing between their trays.
5. Turn on your food dehydrator and set the temperature between 125°F and 135°F (or per your food dehydrator's instructions).

• Apricots are pliable when dried.
• Drying time: between 8-16 hours.

Easy Test To Make Sure They're Dry

To make sure that your apricots are indeed dry, take a piece and cut it.

The apricot should still be pliable, but no juice should ooze out when squeezed.

Please remember to rotate your trays, for even drying.

Best Way to Eat Apricot Jam!

As a kid my family and I used to vacation in the South of France, in a small town called Saint Mandrier, (lucky me), and my favorite time of day was breakfast! 

Upon returning from the Patisserie toting a gigantic bag of warm fresh buttery croissants, I could hardly wait to spread on the apricot jam... it was heavenly breakfast!

And to burn off all those calories, a quick dip or two, or three, in the blue waters of the Mediterranean was all it took to keep our waistlines in check.

Best Areas to Grow Apricots

If you love the taste of fresh apricots, you may be wondering where the best place is to grow them. While apricots can technically be grown in any region with a warm climate, there are some areas that are better suited for growing this delicious fruit.

Here are some of the best places to grow apricots:

1. California

Not surprisingly, California is one of the best places to grow apricots. The state has a long growing season and ample sunshine, both of which are necessary for producing good yields of this fruit. In addition, the soil in California is well-drained, another important factor for growing apricots.

2. Arizona

Arizona also has a climate that is ideal for growing apricots. The state has warm weather and plenty of sunlight, and the soil is well-drained in most areas. In addition, Arizona is home to a number of apricot varieties that are well-suited for the state’s climate.

3. Texas

Texas is another good state for growing apricots. The state has a long growing season and ample sunshine, and the soil in most parts of the state is well-drained. In addition, Texas is home to a number of apricot varieties that are well-suited for the state’s climate.

4. New Mexico

New Mexico has a climate that is well-suited for growing apricots. The state has warm weather and plenty of sunshine, and the soil is well-drained in most areas. In addition, New Mexico is home to a number of apricot varieties that are well-suited for the state’s climate.

5. Nevada

Nevada also has a climate that is ideal for growing apricots. The state has warm weather and plenty of sunshine, and the soil is well-drained in most areas. In addition, Nevada is home to a number of apricot varieties that are well-suited for the state’s climate.

~ ~ ~

These are just a few of the best places to grow apricots. If you live in one of these states, you’re in luck! You can enjoy delicious, fresh apricots right from your own backyard.

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