Green apricots: product features and uses
Apricots are very healthy and tasty fruits that are loved by many. But not everyone knows that you can eat not only ripe, but also green fruits. The latter option has a special composition and effect on the body. There are also several popular recipes that use unripe apricots. How to properly prepare these dishes, and what are the features of green fruits, will be described in detail in this article.
Peculiarities
Green apricots are unripe fruits that are tougher to the touch and taste different from their ripe counterparts. It may seem to many that eating such fruits can only harm the body, but in fact, fruits contain many elements that provide health benefits.
- Due to the abundant fiber content, these fruits have a laxative effect. Their reception is especially recommended for people who suffer from constipation.
- An important element of the fruit is salicylic acid. It is necessary for those people who suffer from rheumatism or experience other ailments associated with the work of the joints.
- Unripe fruits will be useful for anemia, since their iron content is high.
- Green apricots are recommended for people with weak stomach acidity. These fruits will significantly increase the content of acids, as well as have an anti-putrefactive effect.
- The seeds of unripe apricot fruits should not be ignored either.They contain a very valuable substance - amygdalin. It is necessary for the treatment of cancer.
- In addition to the above elements, fruits are rich in vitamin C, which is essential for improving the functioning of the immune system.
But before eating green fruits, remember that not everyone can eat them.
They are not recommended for people who have problems with the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and often have indigestion. Also, do not eat unripe apricots if you have an increased stomach acid. Pregnant women should also be careful when consuming such fruits. If you do decide to eat these fruits, do not consume them in too large quantities, otherwise, most likely, you will get an excessive laxative effect.
Despite the fact that in the villages many people are used to eating these fruits simply with salt, there are a number of recipes that involve the use of green apricots. All of them are easy enough for self-preparation.
Tkemali
This is the name of the seasoning, which is usually made using plum fruits or cherry plums. But as an alternative, it is quite possible to use unripe apricots. This will require about 2 kilograms of fruit, they must be removed from the seeds in advance. In addition to apricots, you will need the following components:
- 500 grams of red hot pepper (if there is no red on hand, then you can take any other kind);
- 200 grams of ground coriander;
- kilogram of cilantro;
- 500 grams of garlic;
- 500 grams of mint;
- salt to taste.
All ingredients must be ground in a meat grinder. In this state, they are placed in a saucepan and brought to a boil. For half an hour, the mixture should languish over low heat.Then the product is laid out in pre-sterilized jars.
It turns out quite tasty tkemali sauce, which is less acidic than the plum counterpart.
pickled fruits
To please yourself and your guests with an unusual dish in winter, you can cook pickled green apricots. To do this, you will need one kilogram of unripe unripe apricots and two liters of marinade.
To prepare the marinade, per liter of water you need to take:
- a couple of tablespoons of sugar;
- one spoonful of salt;
- a little black peppercorns;
- one teaspoon of vinegar essence;
- a few stars of carnation;
- a small piece of cinnamon.
The process of pickling apricots is carried out as follows.
- Fruit should be washed thoroughly.
- Then they need to be pierced in several areas with a toothpick.
- Transfer all apricots to a colander, then blanch the fruit in boiling water for several minutes.
- After that, the fruits should be laid out in pre-sterilized jars with a volume of 500 ml.
- Add seasonings (without vinegar), fill the contents of the jars with marinade, brought to a boil, and cover with sterilized lids.
- After 10 minutes, you need to drain the marinade from the cans back into the pan and boil it again.
- Vinegar is then added to the boiling liquid and it is poured back into jars of green fruit.
- Then you need to tighten the metal lids and put the containers upside down. They are also advised to wrap them in a warm cloth and leave them in a similar position for a couple of days.
- Until winter, they are stored in a cool place inaccessible to light.
Jam
Another popular way to preserve unripe apricots is to make jam, which has an unusual greenish color.As the main component, such fruits are used, the stone in which is not yet fully formed.
As ingredients you will need:
- 1 kilogram of unripe apricots;
- 1 kilogram of granulated sugar;
- half a lemon;
- water;
- one packet of vanilla sugar.
The cooking algorithm is as follows.
- Fruit should be washed thoroughly.
- Then it is necessary to pierce each fruit through, through a soft bone.
- After piercing, rinse the green apricots well again.
- Pour the required amount of water into a saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Place the fruit in a colander, and then lower it into boiling water three times. Each approach should last 30 seconds.
- After draining the liquid, the fruit should be laid out on a paper towel and allowed to dry.
- Meanwhile, make a sugar syrup using sugar and 2.5 cups of water. After the syrup boils, green fruits are placed in it, and then juice from half a lemon is added to the mixture.
- The pan is put on gas, after boiling, the contents are cooked until tender. It is necessary to remove the foam from time to time.
- At the end of cooking, vanilla sugar is added to the jam.
- Arrange the jam in sterilized jars, close the lids and store in a dark, cool place.
Compote
From unripe apricots, you can quickly make compote, which has an excellent taste and quenches thirst. The cooking process looks like this:
- wash green apricots;
- put them in a saucepan and fill with water;
- then add a glass of granulated sugar there;
- boil and keep boiling for a couple of minutes;
- turn off the heat and leave the compote to cool, during which time the drink will settle.
If you do not eat fruits from compote, after the drink is over, green apricots can be grated and used as a filling for pies. This option will not only save food, but also make pies tasty, healthy and natural.
Reviews
Most of the reviews about the introduction of green apricot dishes into the diet are positive. Some note that fresh fruits have a significant effect on the digestion process to a greater extent than those that have undergone heat treatment. They are eaten not only by adults, but also by children, but it is still not recommended to give such fruits to a child in large quantities, since the acid balance in a young body has not yet been settled, and a large number of apricots can be harmful. The safest in terms of effects on the gastrointestinal tract is jam from such fruits.
Thus, it is obvious that green apricots have beneficial properties, but they must be eaten with caution.
If you master the technique of the most popular and simple recipes, you can delight yourself and your loved ones with original dishes from these fruits at any time of the year.
See the following video for the benefits of apricots.