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How to Dehydrate Apricots

Susan Gast, founder of Easy Food Dehydrating

by: Susan Gast / Author, Blogger at Beesville Books, Bored Boomers, and a Food Dehydrating Fanatic!

Learn how to dehydrate apricots, especially when they are plentiful, so you can have delicious apricot jam, apricot compote, pies, and sauces—on hand, year round—in addition to your other dehydrated fruit!

Dehydrated Apricots in a bowl

Thankfully apricots are readily available frozen, so this is the easy way to create your own private stock when fresh apricots are not available and you're running out of freezer space!

You can also dehydrated canned apricot, but rinse off the syrup. See FAQ coming up as to why.


A person with dehydrator, fresh food

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long does it take to dehydrate apricots?

It takes between 8 - 16 hours to fully dehydrate apricots using an electric dehydrator. They'll feel pliable when dried (i.e. "bendy").

Can you dehydrate apricots in the oven?

Yes, but using an electric dehydrator is faster, and better IMHO. You see, regular ovens don't go low enough for the best temperature range of 125°F to 135°F.

But if you wish to try: set your oven to its lowest temperature, and keep the oven door propped open with the handle of a wooden spoon so damp air can "escape."

Can you dehydrate canned apricots?

Yes you can, but first - rinse off the sugary syrup. Why? Because the syrup has a high sugar content and it can caramelize in the dehydrator if not removed first.

Pat the apricots dry with paper towels after rinsing. Make sure they're dry before dehydrating.

When you read in my instructions further down the page, regarding dehydrating FRESH apricots, you'll find that the above information seems contradictory regarding the syrup.

The thing is, fresh apricots NEED sweetening. Canned apricots have already absorbed the necessary syrupy-sweetness in the can but we still need to rinse the canned syrup off the apricots before dehydrating them.

Do you peel fresh apricots before dehydrating?

No, you do not need to skin the apricots (thank goodness!). But you DO need to remove the pit (i.e the stone/seed).

How do you dehydrate fresh apricots?

Please scroll down the page and you'll get full deets.

Regarding dried apricots in dehydrator, how long does it take?

The time frame for dehydrated apricots is between 8 to 16 hours.

Drying apricots dehydrator, and how to dry apricots in a dehydrator?

Those are also top search questions, and this apricots page covers how to dehydrate apricots using a dehydrator.

Apricots growing on a tree

Apricot Nutrition Info.

VITAMINS: Vitamin A, followed by Vitamin C, and Vitamin E, with trace amounts of Folate, Choline, Vitamin K, Niacin, and Vitamin B6.

MINERALS: Potassium, Phosphorus, Calcium, and Magnesium, with trace amounts of Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, and Manganese.

Apricots also have Omega-6 fatty acids.

How to Dehydrate Apricots—
Fresh Apricots Need a Syrup Blanch

It's time to get busy drying apricots in a dehydrator. Here's how:

If using frozen apricots (allow them to thaw first), and ignore steps 1, 2, and 3.

  1. First, prepare your fresh apricots by washing them, cutting them in half, and removing the pits.
  2. Next, we 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 its slightly taller 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).

Use our Fahrenheit to Celsius converter here on our site!

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

NOTE: A lovely lady wrote to me on Facebook to say that her apricots, while blanching, turned into jam! So even though "all was not lost," making jam was not her intention! I responded with take out your fruit if/when you see it turning mushy. The aim of blanching is to crack the skins which makes the apricots dry faster on the dehydrator. Thanks!

Easy Test to Make Sure Your Apricots are Dry

To make sure that your apricots are indeed dry, take a piece off your dehydrator 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.

After you know how to dehydrate apricots, you'll be making your own apricot jam in no time...

How to Make Fabulous Apricot Jam!

How to Make
Fabulous
Apricot Jam!

Apricot jam, French croissants on a plate

If you’ve ever wondered how to make apricot jam, you’re at the right place.

This delicious apricot jam is easy to make at home.

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 has 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!

Spread Apricot Jam on Croissants! A Sweet Memory...

Three croissants

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! 

It was my job to go get a couple dozen "croissants avec beurre." (Yep, croissants with butter).

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 a 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:

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

These are just a few of the best places to grow apricots. If you live in one of these states, you’re in luck!

Now you know how to dehydrate apricots, you can enjoy delicious apricots any time you like, right from your own backyard or your private stock of jams and jellies!

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