The origin of the apricot, its chemical composition and calorie content. Useful and harmful properties. Contraindications to use. Selection tips and recipes for preparing dishes with dried apricot.
Contraindications and harm of apricot
It's no secret that modern industry allows you to extend the shelf life of a product or improve its consumer characteristics with the help of chemicals. A large number of dried fruits are produced with additional treatment with sulfur dioxide and dried in special ovens and heating pads. A similar apricot not only loses some of its vitamins, but also becomes dangerous to health. It is fair to say that an environmentally friendly product that has a rich vitamin and mineral composition, extremely useful for the body, can cause negative reactions when consumed.
Possible harm to apricot can manifest itself as follows:
- Development of food allergies … To eat apricots with great care is necessary for people prone to food allergies. If there is an individual intolerance to the product, it should be completely excluded from the diet.
- Exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases … With diagnosed gastritis, colitis and other gastrointestinal diseases, a strict diet should be followed. The active use of dried fruits can exacerbate the disease.
- Increased sugar levels … Fructose and glucose, which are part of the apricot, are not contraindicated in diabetes, but their excessive use can lead to negative results.
- Disruption of the digestive system in children under 1 year of age … The use of apricots in the early period of life is contraindicated, because may cause bloating, colic, and digestive problems.
It is known that the composition of dried apricot is dominated by carbohydrates, which are easily absorbed by the body. However, the product has a high calorie content, so it should be consumed with caution, especially by people who are prone to being overweight.
How to make an apricot
The process of preparing dried fruit is incredibly simple and environmentally friendly. It does not require any complex steps. The use of auxiliary substances or devices is not required either.
It is enough to pick large apricot fruits from the tree, and leave the smaller ones to ripen until they are completely dehydrated. This manufacturing method ensures the full saturation of the fruit with useful substances and their preservation in the finished product.
Then the finished apricot is plucked from the branches and sent for storage in dry, darkened rooms.
Needless to say, the tree needs moderate watering and additional nutrition of the root system, which is the key to proper fruit ripening.
Some companies are pursuing a different technology in the pursuit of get-rich-quick. For convenience and shortening the production time, sometimes unripe fruits are plucked and dried artificially in special drying ovens.
Sometimes chemicals that can harm the body are used to improve the presentation and extend the shelf life. At best, such an apricot will simply not be beneficial, at worst it will cause allergic reactions or other undesirable health effects.
Apricot recipes
A large number of beneficial properties are an excellent addition to the amazing taste of dried apricot. Gourmets from different countries have fully appreciated this product and often use it in the preparation of various dishes. Most of the recipes are from Asian cuisine.
Some people eat apricots as a separate product, a dessert. And we propose to cook the following dishes with dried apricot:
- Samsa with apricot … This is a popular variety of patties. The basis for their preparation is puff pastry, which you can cook yourself or buy ready-made. The ingredients are: puff pastry (1 pack), apricots (200-400 g), egg (1 pc.), Sugar and sesame seeds for decoration. For the filling, it is best to use homemade dried apricot. The purchased fruits must be poured with boiling water and left for 2-3 hours, so as not only to soften them, but also to remove possible toxins. Next, release the bones and cut the pulp into small cubes. At the next stage, we form squares of convenient sizes from puff pastry, 10-15 cm are considered optimal. Put 2-3 tablespoons of the resulting apricot on each piece and wrap the dough in a triangle. We fasten the edges well, coat the surface with an egg, sprinkle with sugar and sesame seeds. It is necessary to bake such a dish for 20 minutes at 180 ° C.
- Pilaf … It is known that there are many options for preparing this popular dish. The original recipe involves cooking over a fire with the addition of lamb and quite specific spices. But many people practice an easier way using widely available products. For our recipe, you will need the following ingredients: pork (500-600 g), rice (2 cups), onion (1 pc.), Garlic (1 head), carrots (2 pcs.), Raisins (50 g), apricots (100 d), bay leaf (1-2 pcs.), dill and parsley, basil, salt and spices to taste. We start cooking by cutting the meat into pieces of medium size and roasting them. Cut the peeled onion into half rings and fry with the carrots. Soak the raisins and dried apricots in boiling water, then remove the bone and chop finely. Then we put the meat, fried vegetables, dried fruits in a stewing container, add chopped herbs, salt and spices. An excellent addition are spices such as barberry, caraway seeds, various types of pepper, turmeric. Pour well-washed rice there. Fill with 4 glasses of water. We place a whole head of garlic, having previously peeled part of the peel. We send it to a moderate heat or to a slow cooker. It should be extinguished until the liquid has completely evaporated.
- Apricot compote … This sweet homemade drink made from dried apricot is very healthy and easy to make. For him, we need 200-300 g of apricots, 350 g of sugar and 1.5 liters of water. Dried fruits are thoroughly washed, put in a saucepan, poured with water and sugar is added. Put on fire and bring to a boil. Long cooking is not required so as not to destroy the nutrients. But letting it brew is the main rule of vitamin drinks. You can also add other types of dried fruit, lemon pulp, or spices such as cinnamon or vanilla.
Interesting facts about apricot
It is known that only dried apricot pulp is most often eaten, discarding the bones. However, recent studies have shown that this part of the product can be very useful as well.
Eating 3-4 bones a day, you can protect yourself from the development of cancerous tumors. The vitamin B17 contained in them has a detrimental effect on foreign cells, without affecting the development of healthy ones. The product allows you to suspend the process of metastasis, strengthens the human immune system.
Many dietary supplements containing Laetrile (vitamin B17) are now on the market, but homemade apricots are best used for maximum effect.
Watch the video about the apricot:
The catch phrase "All ingenious is simple!" very suitable for describing such a simple product as apricot. Cooked in the sun, with a rich supply of vitamins and nutrients, it is a gift from nature itself.
