Apricot harvesting is over in most parts of Serbia. Fruits that are not intended for consumption, brandy, jams or juice, will be dried. High-quality fruits are used for drying, and the quality depends on the variety and drying technology. Varieties intended for drying must have a medium, uniform size, a firm mesocarp in the optimal stage of maturity, a high content of dry matter, a favorable ratio of sugar and acid, a pronounced aroma and a uniform yellow color.
Apricot is a fruit suitable for drying, and dried apricots can be sold on the world market. High-quality and economical drying is also possible in domestic conditions, where the best results are achieved with a combined technology that includes osmotic drying in a sucrose solution and classical convective drying. This method allows preserving the quality of fresh apricots during processing, minimally affecting the taste and aroma, and has proven to be suitable for domestic varieties.
Apricot by apricot – a meal!
Fruits are harvested at full maturity, they must be healthy, fresh, juicy, hand-picked, whole, clean, without mechanical injuries and signs of damage. Store in cool and dry rooms until processing.
The drying process includes: washing, inspection, separation of stones, blanching, sulfurization, immersion in sucrose solution, drying and packaging. The fruits are washed in cold water and inspected to remove rotten, mouldy, green fruits and foreign impurities. After washing, the fruits are divided into halves and blanched with steam for 2-4 minutes. Sulfurization prevents darkening of the fruit and lasts 2-3 hours with the required amount of sulfur of 2.3 kg per ton of fruit.
Immersion in a 70-85% sucrose solution is done immediately after washing and dividing the apricots. The fruits are distributed on trays, and drying is usually done by osmotic dehydration, a process known since the time of the Turks. The migration of moisture molecules from the fruit to the solution and vice versa, with minimal dissolution of organic matter, ensures the preservation of quality. After osmotic dehydration, the fruits are convectively dried at temperatures of 45-55 degrees for 18-24 hours. According to the Rulebook, the content of sulfur dioxide in dried apricots must not exceed 0.015%.
Source: Good morning
Source: boljazemlja.com
