What dried apricots is the most useful. What is useful chocolate dried apricots

Dried apricots are one of the most useful dried fruits; they are rich in carotene, potassium, various organic acids, minerals and vitamins. In this article I will talk about how to choose the most delicious and healthy dried apricots and also where to buy it.

dried apricots in vacuum packaging

Supermarkets usually sell dried apricots in vacuum packs. As a rule, it looks beautiful and is ready to use. The cost is about 100 rubles for a 200-gram bag, and sometimes even higher. In other words, very expensive. This is a good option, except perhaps in case you want something to eat, but nearest cafe- far, or corny there is no time to go there. True, in this case the best option will not simple dried apricots, and a mixture of dried apricots, raisins and nuts.

Dried apricots by weight

In some supermarkets, in small shops, fruit and vegetable stalls and markets, you can still buy dried apricots by weight. Its price is noticeably lower - about 200-250 rubles per kilogram of dried apricots good quality(Sometimes you can find cheaper). It is this kind of dried apricots that is worth buying for home use.

Many people buy bright and beautiful saturated dried apricots. orange color. And to do this, in fact, it is not worth it. This color is not natural; in order to get it, dried apricots are treated with very harmful sulfur dioxide. Of course from disposable such dried apricots will not be terrible, but with regular use sulfur dioxide will accumulate in your body and over time will begin to have a very Negative influence on the lungs, bronchi; can cause allergies or asthma. That is why I do not recommend buying golden orange dried apricots.

Dark, reddish-brown dried apricots

Now this is a completely natural product that does not bring harm, but benefits. Yes, it does not look very attractive, but, you see, health is more important than the appearance of some kind of dried apricots. In general, the darker and more inconspicuous dried apricots, the more natural they are, as a rule.

Which dried apricots are better?

When choosing dried apricots, opt for slightly soft dried apricots rather than completely dry and stone-hard dried apricots. Hard dried apricots, most likely, are already very old and have partially lost their taste qualities. Good dried apricots are elastic to the touch, but not too soft. It also doesn't have to be transparent.

In addition, attention should be paid to appearance fruits: are they whole, or are they some kind of trimmings, are there clearly foreign black spots on them. In addition, it is better to buy a fairly large dried apricots: they usually taste better.

If you buy vacuum-packed dried apricots, then give preference to the one that is clearly visible (that is, dried apricots in a transparent bag). After all, it's a shame to buy a pig in a poke for a lot of money. By the way, among the producers of dried fruits in vacuum packaging, I can recommend Good Food. About the quality of the rest, alas, I can’t say anything definite - I didn’t have to try; I do not like to pay excessive money for not quite natural products(after all, as you probably noticed, the same chemically processed golden-orange dried apricots are usually sold in vacuum packages).

Where to buy dried apricots?

I would advise buying dried apricots in a trusted store or fruit and vegetable kiosk. The price should not be too low (for 100 rubles / kg you obviously will not be sold anything good). Buy for the first time to try a large number of; if you like dried apricots, you can come back and buy more, and if not, try your luck in other shops and / or stalls.

Happy shopping and Bon appetit!

dried apricots chocolate, dark or black rich in vitamins and minerals such as: vitamin A - 64.8%, beta-carotene - 70%, vitamin B2 - 11.1%, vitamin E - 36.7%, vitamin PP - 19.5%, potassium - 68 .7%, calcium - 16%, silicon - 86.7%, magnesium - 26.3%, phosphorus - 18.3%, iron - 17.8%

What is useful dried apricots chocolate, dark or black

• Vitamin A is responsible for normal development, reproductive function, skin and eye health, and maintaining immunity.
• B-carotene is a provitamin A and has antioxidant properties. 6 micrograms of beta-carotene is equivalent to 1 microgram of vitamin A.
• Vitamin B2 participates in redox reactions, increases the susceptibility of color by the visual analyzer and dark adaptation. Insufficient consumption vitamin B2 is accompanied by a violation of the condition of the skin, mucous membranes, a violation of light and twilight vision.
• Vitamin E has antioxidant properties, is necessary for the functioning of the gonads, the heart muscle, is a universal stabilizer of cell membranes. With a deficiency of vitamin E, hemolysis of erythrocytes and neurological disorders are observed.
• Vitamin PP participates in redox reactions of energy metabolism. Inadequate vitamin intake is accompanied by a violation of the normal state of the skin, gastrointestinal intestinal tract And nervous system.
• Potassium is the main intracellular ion involved in the regulation of water, acid and electrolyte balance, participates in the processes of carrying out nerve impulses, pressure regulation.
• Calcium is the main component of our bones, acts as a regulator of the nervous system, is involved in muscle contraction. Calcium deficiency leads to demineralization of the spine, pelvic bones and lower extremities, increases the risk of osteoporosis.
• Silicon is included as a structural component in the composition of glycosaminoglycans and stimulates the synthesis of collagen.
• Magnesium participates in energy metabolism, synthesis of proteins, nucleic acids, has a stabilizing effect on membranes, is necessary to maintain calcium, potassium and sodium homeostasis. Lack of magnesium leads to hypomagnesemia, increased risk of developing hypertension, heart disease.
• Phosphorus takes part in many physiological processes, including energy metabolism, regulates the acid-base balance, is part of phospholipids, nucleotides and nucleic acids, is necessary for the mineralization of bones and teeth. Deficiency leads to anorexia, anemia, rickets.
• Iron is a part of proteins of various functions, including enzymes. Participates in the transport of electrons, oxygen, ensures the flow redox reactions and activation of peroxidation. Insufficient consumption leads to hypochromic anemia, myoglobin deficiency atony of skeletal muscles, increased fatigue, myocardiopathy, atrophic gastritis.

The complete guide to the most useful products you can see in the app

Dried apricots are a storehouse of useful minerals(iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus), organic acids, pectins.
Dried apricots are prepared from the well-known southern fruit- apricot. If you separate the stone from large and juicy apricot fruits, you get dried apricots, and from smaller fruits dried with a stone, you get apricots.

Dried apricots help to remove radionuclides, heavy metals and many others from the body. harmful substances. Dried apricots are a natural tonic, normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Dried apricots are an important source of vitamin A, an element responsible for the condition of the skin, hair and nails. Vitamin A helps maintain sharpness and clarity of vision. This dried fruit is necessary for people suffering from kidney diseases, diabetes, damage to the thyroid gland.

In our stores, supermarkets, as a rule, chemically processed dried fruits are sold. They look more beautiful, do not deteriorate for a long time, and they are not eaten by pests. In the markets, such chemically processed dried apricots are also partially sold, but as a rule, next to it on the counter of 8-10 types of dried apricots there will be 2-4 types of real, properly dried dried apricots.

To choose the right dried apricots, you need to know how it is dried.

There are four main types of dried fruit drying:

In the sun;
- in the shadow;
- with the help of heat treatment;
- with the help of heat treatment and chemistry.

When buying dried apricots, pay attention to the following:

Natural dried apricots after drying will be dark brown or dark orange, and the bright color is achieved only with the help of chemistry. Dark brown dried apricots - dried in the shade.

Feel - good dried apricots dry and wiry to the touch, and if it is oily, do not take it. quality dried apricots does not smear in the hand, and if so, then the rules for storing it were probably violated or it was originally made from low-quality apricot.

Natural dried apricots are slightly shriveled and may contain insect remnants. Dried apricots should be large - this means that the apricot was ripe and all of it beneficial features preserved.

Taste dried apricots. If a winey aftertaste remains, discard the product. The reason is a gross violation of the technology for the manufacture of dried fruits, which can lead to poisoning or other unpleasant health consequences.

It follows from this that you should not buy a bright rich color, too soft and with an oily tint.

So why do we usually see a bright rich color of dried apricots on store shelves?

A color that is too bright may indicate that the dried fruit has been processed to improve its appearance. The thing is that when drying with heat treatment, fruits are fumigated with sulfur dioxide (sulfur dioxide, sulfur dioxide, SO2, all this is an additive E220). Under the influence of this gas, all bacteria die, the product becomes poisonous, inedible for pests, and, frankly, for humans.

Dissolving in water, sulfur dioxide turns into a weak solution of sulfurous acid, which irritates the mucous membranes. digestive system person. Dried apricots can still be tinted with potassium permanganate. Tinted dried apricots stain your fingers, so before buying (if it is sold by weight), touch it with your hands. Bright smooth dried apricots, almost transparent, - clear sign treatment with chemicals, and sometimes dyes.

The heat treatment of fruits is carried out according to different technologies: gas or tunnel ovens, gasoline burners, and others are used. After such processing, fruits lose not only aroma and taste, but also almost all of their benefits. In addition to chemical and heat treatment, for greater attractiveness, dried fruits are rubbed with fat for shine. It can be glycerin or animal fat, the origin of which can only be guessed at. Such a dried fruit is more likely to cause problems to your stomach than bring anything useful.

Everyone knows that dried apricots are dried apricots, dietary product with many medicinal and nutritional properties. You can use dried apricots in in kind- you just need to wash it thoroughly, or add it to dishes, and here the culinary imagination can be limitless: they even cook meat and fish with dried apricots - it turns out not only tastier, but also much healthier.

Dried apricots are not an exotic product: you can buy it in any store, supermarket, fruit stand or market, but you need to be able to choose it correctly. Unfortunately, many manufacturers and sellers seek to attract buyers with a presentation, but by no means with the quality of the product: people are always attracted by bright colors, and yellow-orange dried apricots treated with sulfur dioxide, and therefore impeccably clean, are bought up more readily than dark, dull and wrinkled .

What is chocolate dried apricots? Apparently, this is how we call not one product, but several, but you can find dried apricots with that name on the market. She really has a slightly chocolatey taste, she is sweet - almost does not sour, dark on top, and lighter inside.

Such dried apricots are produced in Turkey, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and other regions; for its production, selected, large fruits are used, fully ripened on trees. So, there is a product called "Chocolate Extra" - dried apricots from red apricot, dried traditional way, in air, without drying chambers and application chemical substances. It does not shine, but it smells surprisingly pleasant: its color is dull, matte, brown with a grayish coating; unlike ordinary dried apricots, bright yellow-orange, it can be expensive - 1000-1200 rubles per kilogram. In some countries - for example, in Tajikistan, the product may be called "dark" dried apricots - raw foodists love it very much.

Producers of such dried apricots claim that it is their dried fruits that contain all those substances, because of which dried apricots have long been considered a therapeutic and dietary product: carotene, potassium, organic acids, vitamins A, C, group B, etc.

If you include dried apricots in your diet more often, in the manufacture of which the “necessary chemistry” was not used, you can maintain health for a long time; to restore health by alleviating the course of many chronic diseases, or even getting rid of them completely. The substances that dried apricots are rich in improve the functioning of the kidneys and thyroid gland, alleviate the condition of diabetes mellitus, reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol, stabilize hormonal background, prevent the development cardiovascular diseases, strokes and heart attacks. Studies have shown that regular consumption of dried apricots can slow down the growth of cancer cells.

A widely known recipe for a mixture of dried fruits (dried apricots and prunes) with walnuts and honey: the product is stored in the refrigerator, and taken as a general tonic, 1 tbsp. 2-3 times a day, before meals.

Compotes and infusions from dried apricots are useful for urolithiasis, help cleanse the body of decay products, toxins, including heavy metals and even radionuclides: dried apricot pulp is rich in pectin, which binds and removes them.

For the prevention of the diseases mentioned above, as well as anemia, hypovitaminosis, diseases of the eyes and gastrointestinal tract, you can take dried apricots with honey for a month, 2-3 times a day: 100 g of crushed dried apricots are mixed with 2 tbsp. honey. After a two-week break, the course is repeated.

With chronic constipation in the morning, on an empty stomach, drink an infusion of dried apricots and eat soaked dried fruits. In the evening, carefully washed dried apricots (5-6 pieces) are poured with boiling water, the dishes are covered with a lid and left until the morning. The course of treatment is also a month; the intestines begin to work more actively, the stool normalizes and constipation recedes.

Chocolate dried apricots - high-calorie product: in 100 g - approximately 232-235 kcal, but nutritionists recommend using it for unloading diets, as the main ingredient of the menu. You can arrange such a fasting day: soak 300 g of chocolate dried apricots, grind in a blender to a puree state, mix with 0.5 l of apricot or peach juice without sugar, and eat this mixture throughout the day, divided into 4-5 doses. In between doses of the mixture drink clean water, up to 1.5-2 liters per day.

In Tajikistan, "dark" dried apricots are considered an effective sedative and vitamin remedy, and it is recommended to use it - in different types- at nervous diseases, for skin rejuvenation, strengthening of nails and hair.

Some companies operating in today's growing market healthy eating, also offer products with the name "chocolate dried apricots". For example, the well-known domestic company NaturFoods, which specializes in the production of dried fruits and nuts, offers customers natural snacks such as “chocolate apricot” or “chocolate dried apricots”, dark brown in color, with a delicate honey taste and a slight aftertaste of chocolate. The manufacturer declares that no preservatives are used in the production of their dried apricots, and high quality uniform natural drying in the sun.

As chocolate dried apricots, they can also represent a product made from Black Velvet apricots - they are also called "chocolate". This variety is a hybrid, with large dark purple fruits, juicy and tender.

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Someone oranges, someone tangerines, and give me dried apricots. I have a sweet tooth, my favorite sweets are dried apricots in chocolate, just imagine, two of your desired products in one tandem - I can’t live without dried apricots and chocolate. So I ate sweets for the time being until I found out some information. It turns out that almost all dried apricots on our market are not as useful as they write about them. For those who don't know, dried apricots are dried apricots. It is mainly imported to our country from Turkey, although it is strange, because in Ukraine the climate is suitable for growing apricots, only my parents have 3 trees in the garden.

The whole problem is that apricots, and other fruits, are dried with sulfur dioxide, so that dried fruits remain bright colors, for example, dried apricots - bright yellow or orange. Moreover, it turns out that other preservatives are also used in the drying process in order to preserve the shelf life longer and “ marketable condition» product. In the case of long-term consumption of such “healthiest” dried fruits, an excess of sulfur dioxide accumulates in the body, which over time can cause allergic reactions. Technologists Food Industry argue that although sulfur dioxide itself is toxic, but in finished product it is not contained, and dried fruits are absolutely safe - problems can arise if you inhale the gas itself. I don’t know who to believe, but the desire to buy dried apricots and favorite sweets was completely repulsed. Believe it or not, there was even a "breakdown", but it was she who helped me out. I was looking for dried fruits in all markets, obtained in the traditional way and without the use of conservatives - I found it with my grandmother, who also sold dried apples and pears. It was absolutely unappetizing in appearance, more dry and brown in color, at first I didn’t even believe that it was dried apricots. Later, I learned that dried apricots, dried without sulfur dioxide, are also brought to us from Turkey, it is dark in color and costs much more.

What is the use of dried apricots?

I already wrote that I love sweets, for me dried apricots, one might say, are a substitute for desserts - I eat instead of cakes, sweets and cookies, because it contains approximately 50% sugar by weight of the product. Not the last place is occupied by glucose, in the composition of about 30%, which contributes to brain activity. You can, as it were, systematize the beneficial properties of dried apricots as follows:

• improves immunity due to the rich content of vitamins;
• indicated for iron deficiency anemia - the composition contains up to 155 mg of iron per 100 g of dried apricots;
• indispensable in case of malfunctions of cardio-vascular system- only 100g dried apricots there is up to 450 mg of potassium, which is 1/5 daily allowance adult person. Potassium, as you know, takes part in the following functions of the heart and its cells - muscle contractions, maintains the osmotic concentration of blood, normalizes water balance and etc.;
• strengthens tooth enamel and maintains bone tissue in “tone”, due to the content of phosphorus in the ratio of 35 mg / 100 g;
• promotes the removal of radionuclides and heavy metals from the body;
• has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the intestines - contains a large amount dietary fiber(fiber), which are involved in bowel cleansing. Doctors recommend eating dried apricots for constipation - it acts as a natural laxative;
• reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood;
• lowers pressure;
• improves vision and prevents eye diseases - due to the significant content of carotene;
• dried apricot compote cleanses the kidneys.

And it's not yet complete list, but in any case, if you have health problems, be sure to consult your doctor before use, because dried apricots have contraindications.

Reasons why you need to give up dried apricots

• do not eat dried apricots with reduced pressure;
• it is contraindicated for people with diabetes mellitus, and those who are overweight should eat in limited quantities;
• overeating dried apricots can cause indigestion.

Dried apricots are a high-calorie product, so nutritionists recommend eating a maximum of 100 grams per day, this amount is enough to feel its beneficial properties.

I was generally lucky, as I wrote above, my parents grow apricots, and now I don’t buy dried apricots - my relatives cook at home, its shelf life is shorter, but much tastier and healthier.