Both fresh and dried apricots are delicious, not to mention apricot jam and chutney, which are fantastic ways to conserve your apricots for a long time. You can store fresh or dried apricots at home quite easily, and by using a refrigerator or freezer can extend their longevity even further. Read on to discover how best to store apricots at home.
What You'll Learn Today
How To Store Fresh Apricots?
Store-bought apricots are frequently under-ripe. Luckily they continue ripening after picking but will never be as sweet and juicy as an apricot left to ripen on the tree fully.
Countertop storage
For best results, store the apricots at room temperature somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight so they can continue to mature.
Once the fruits are slightly soft to the touch and smell sweet, they are perfect for eating.
Refrigeration
This will prolong the shelf life of the apricots once ripe, but it can alter both their flavor and texture.
Vacuum Sealing
If you have a vacuum sealing machine, then you can wash, dry, halve, stone, and vacuum seal your apricots so they are in an air-free bag or container. Note here you must use special vacuum seal bags and containers to do this.
Vaccume-sealed apricots will last for around eight months at room temperature or longer if refrigerated or frozen.
In this video, learn four ways to preserve your apricots so you can enjoy them whenever you like:
How Long Do Apricots Last In The Fridge?
Once ripe, fresh apricots can last for around a week in a refrigerator. If you need to keep them for longer, they should be frozen or turned into something else with a longer shelf life, such as a delicious apricot jam – perfect for your morning croissants!
When placing your apricots in the refrigerator, it is best to first wash and dry them gently before putting them into a bag or a container that is airtight once sealed.
If you halve or chop the apricots before placing them into the refrigerator, then their shelf life will be reduced to between two and four days.
How Do You Store Dehydrated Apricots?
Dried apricots last a lot longer than fresh ones. Exactly how long depends on your chosen storage method. Let’s take a look at some options for how to store dehydrated apricots.
Airtight Containers
In an airtight container, your fully dried apricots can last for between six to twelve months when kept at room temperature.
Refrigerator
If you live where the humidity is high, then it may be best to place your container in the refrigerator. This will also let you keep them for between six and twelve months.
Freezer
You can place your dried apricots into a freezer bag or freezer-proof container where they will stay in good quality condition for around twelve to eighteen months. Although still safe to eat after this time, they will have begun degrading and lost some of their nutrient value.
How To Tell If Your Apricots Have Gone Bad?
Using your senses of smell and sight is the best way to tell if your apricots have turned bad. If they smell as if they are rancid or have an alcoholic hint to them, then they’re no longer good to eat.
Look for signs of mold or degradation. If in doubt, it is always best to discard them.
How To Freeze Apricots?
Apricots are delicious and nutritious, so keeping them stored for the long term over the winter months when they are not available can be advantageous.
Can you freeze apricots raw?
You can freeze fresh apricots. You can freeze them whole without removing the pit, but it’s often easier and more convenient to slice them and remove the pit first.
You can also choose to remove the skin, which can be done by blanching them in boiling water for a few minutes. Peeling them isn’t strictly necessary, but depends entirely on what you want to do with them once defrosted.
Freezing Your Fresh Apricots
The first thing to do is to ensure the apricots are clean. Rinse them thoroughly under cold water, and then dry them on a paper towel. Be careful not to damage or bruise the apricots. Treat them gently.
Now you’re ready to start processing them:
1. Cut in half – Start by cutting the apricots in half and removing the pits. To do this, you will need a small, sharp knife and a chopping board. Just cut them from top to bottom.
2. Laying out – Next, prepare a tray by spreading out a sheet of baking parchment or waxed paper and lay each apricot half on the sheet face down, ensuring that they do not touch each other.
3. Flash freezing – You’re now ready to place the tray of apricots into the freezer. Ensure you allow them enough time in the freezer to become completely solid. Depending on the efficiency of your freezer, this can take from one to several hours.
4. Bagging up – Once the apricots have all become frozen, you can tip them into a freezer bag or freezer-proof container. Bags often work better because you can remove as much air as possible, and this helps to prevent the apricots from browning.
Because you pre-froze them, they won’t stick together unless they become partially defrosted.
5. Labeling up – Don’t forget to label your bags or containers with what’s in them and the date you froze them before placing them back into the freezer for long-term storage.
How Long Can You Freeze Apricots?
Fresh apricots can be frozen for approximately four months, depending on your freezer. Refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations for fresh fruits.
Because fresh apricots are quite delicate, it’s important not to damage their skin before freezing. If they are on the slightly soft side, it’s better to remove the skin first.
Dried apricots will keep in a freezer for much longer than fresh ones and are just as good to use in a wide range of dishes from tagines to smoothies.
How Do You Defrost Apricots?
Depending on what you’re going to use the frozen apricots for, there may be no need to defrost them before use.
For example, smoothies can be made with frozen apricots straight from the freezer, you’ll just need to place them into your blender with your juice of choice, and off you go.
If you only want to use some of the apricots you’ve frozen, remove them from their bag, being careful to re-seal it, and immediately place back into the freezer to prevent the remaining fruits from defrosting.
Place them onto a plate and place them in the refrigerator for several hours to thaw out.
For enjoying as part of a nutritious and delicious breakfast, take them out of the freezer in the evening and allow them to defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Conclusion
However you decide to store or preserve your apricots – countertop, fridge, freezer, dried or fresh, jellies or jams, there are a few things that will ensure your efforts are successful.
Mold likes a warm moist environment to grow, and yeast spores are present in the air naturally, so they easily contaminate the things you are trying to keep from rotting or going bad.
If you’re going to store fresh apricots for a short period to ripen further, then you may wish to give them a wash under the cold tap and a gentle pat dry first.
The longer you want to keep the apricots in any form, the more preparation you will need to do. For example, if you’re making an apricot jam, you’ll need to sterilize all of the utensils and jam jars to prevent mold growth.
Enjoy your apricots!
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