Apricots are a tasty and healthy fruit that’s perfect for summer. If you want to keep them fresh and tasty for a longer time, you need to store them in the right way.
Let’s talk about the top five methods to store apricots so they can stay fresh and yummy.
You can store apricots by putting them in the fridge, drying them, freezing them, canning them, or just keeping them in a cool place at room temperature.
Table of Contents
1. Keep Them in the Fridge
For refrigeration, put your apricots in a plastic bag. Push all the air out and seal the bag well.
Then, put this bag in the part of the fridge meant for fruits and veggies. This drawer keeps things fresh and stops them from drying out.
2. Dry Them Out
If you have a lot of apricots, drying them can help them last much longer. This is great for keeping a big bunch of apricots.
First, slice your apricots and lay them out on a tray for the dehydrator. Make sure to spread them nicely.
Then, turn your dehydrator to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and let it do its work – this may take a few hours. Once they’re all dry and chewy, move them to an airtight container. They can stay good like this for many months if you keep them at room temperature.
3. Freeze Them
Freezing apricots can help them last even longer. Here’s how: first, wash and cut them. Next, spread them out on a tray with baking paper so they don’t touch each other. Pop this tray in the freezer.
Once they’re frozen solid, put them in a freezer bag or an airtight box, then back in the freezer they go. They can stay good in the freezer for a bunch of months.
4. Can Them
You can also keep apricots by canning them. You’ll need to clean a jar and lid and then fill the jar with apricot slices and some sugar syrup or liquid that’s good for canning.
After sealing the jar, put it in boiling water and follow the recommended time. Once done, take it out and let it cool down. Your canned apricots can also stay yummy for many months.
5. At Room Temperature
If you just bought apricots and plan to eat them soon, you can keep them in a cool and dry spot. Stay away from any places that are hot or sunny. Make sure there’s good air flow to stop them from getting too moist or warm.
Keep them like this for no more than three days, and check them for any signs that they’re going bad, like getting soft or changing color.
How Long Do Apricots Last?
You can also freeze them or turn them into jam if you need more time. Sliced apricots stay good in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in a sealed bag or container. But if they were a bit soft from the start, they’ll only be good for a day or two.
Keep an eye on your apricots for any spoilage like mold or color changes. To get the most time out of them, put them in a sealed container in the fridge and eat them soon after you buy them.
If you have too many apricots and can’t eat them all before they spoil, you can always freeze them for later. By storing and handling them right, you can enjoy fresh apricots for weeks!
How to Tell if an Apricot Is Bad?
If the inside of the apricot is brown or the storage container has mold, these are signs the fruit has spoiled. Be sure to look over apricots when you buy them to avoid getting bad ones. Store them well to keep them fresh longer.
Conclusion
Figuring out the best way to store your apricots depends on when you want to eat them and how long you need to keep them. If you’ll eat them soon, you can put them in the fridge or leave them out. But if you need them to last a while, try drying, freezing, or canning them.
