The classic sweet dish of Middle Eastern cuisine, the apricot paste is a rich confection that has a flavor that is quite similar to the fruit's leather.
dried apricot benefits
In this article, we will talk about dried apricots and also recipes for their paste. The urban legend in my family states that when my mother was expecting me, she went to the German market on the opposite side of the street and purchased a huge quantity of fresh apricots. It's possible that this is why apricots have always been one of my top choices when it comes to fruits. It is best to use fresh apricots, but you may also use dried apricots, canned apricots, apricot nectar, or even apricot juice in its place. Since I now live in an area that is known for its production of apricots, I make sure to make the most of the rather brief growing season for the fruit by preserving it in a number of delicious ways. In addition to that, I made some apricot paste this week. What exactly is apricot paste, though? Apricot paste might have caught your eye if you were perusing the aisles of a Middle Eastern deli or market. It is utilized similarly to quince and paste, sharing both their chemical composition and the culinary applications of each. The consistency of apricot paste falls midway between that of fruit leather and that of jelly sweets. In its most basic form, the apricot paste is an extraordinarily thick purée made from apricots. Making Apricot Jam (Preparation) It is not difficult to make an apricot paste, and you do not want a very large quantity of apricots in order to do it. Even though it takes a lot of effort, the reward in terms of flavor makes the process more than worthwhile. The dish in Linda Zeidrich's The Delight of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Treats, which is one of my most-used cookbooks, inspired me to create this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Although Ms. Zidrich proposes putting the apricots through a food processor, I believe that undertaking is too difficult. Although I do have a food grinder, it is normally stored away in a dark corner of a cabinet, and I only use it on a very infrequent basis. 
dried apricot benefits for health
To prevent this from happening, I pureed the apricots in the food processor in the same manner as I do while preparing quince. continued to perform normally despite having been used extensively Uses for apricot paste in various contexts Because it contains such a high concentration of nutrients, a relatively tiny amount of apricot pulp is all that is required to produce a discernible change in the body. When it comes to snacks, it pairs wonderfully with sliced cheese, nuts, and olives. When I think about it, I immediately see myself sitting on a beach in the Mediterranean with a bottle of ouzo in my hand. If you absolutely can't wait until the afternoon, you may always eat it for breakfast as I did in the instances that were given above! Here we want to give you a recipe for apricot paste:
- Ingredients
- 2 kilograms of fresh apricots, which have been pitted
- 2 teaspoons of water
- 2 cups of sugar (sugar flavored with rose or lemon is a great addition)
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- instructions
- Place the apricots with water in a large saucepan, preferably one that does not stick.
- Put everything in a pot, increase the heat to high, bring it to a boil then reduce it to a simmer for as long as it takes for the apricots to get soft.
- Remove it from the heat source and let it gradually become less hot.
- Mash the fruit to a smooth consistency using either a food processor or an immersion blender. You will need approximately 5 cups of puree for this.
- Place the pureed ingredients back into the pot or pan in which they were originally cooked. It is possible to add sugar and lemon juice.
- Turn the heat down to medium and continue cooking the sauce while stirring it often for about six minutes, or until it reaches the desired thickness. Performing this task took approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes of my time.
dried apricot recipes
- If you slide the thickened mixture across the pan with a spoon, you will notice that it leaves a gap.
- Pour the mixture into a pan about 8 by 8 inches that have been oiled, and then allow it to cool.
- Allow the dough to dry at room temperature for a sufficient amount of time until the surface is no longer sticky. Remove from the pan, flip it over, and leave the base aside to dry. This could take up to a week or even more, but in a dry environment, it could take as little as two days. Dry either in a food dehydrator or by leaving it out in the sun (covering it with cheesecloth to prevent pests!).
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four months.
The differences between apricot and quince paste are brought into focus here. Apricot pulp is tender compared to quince pulp. This is because, unlike most other fruits, which have a significant amount of natural pectin, apricots contain almost none of this substance. Having a texture comparable to that of quince, although not quite as sticky. 