How to Dry Apricots at Home: Pretreatment, Temperatures and Storage

How to Dry Apricots at Home: Pretreatment, Temperatures and Storage

ByKen

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Learning how to dry apricots turns a short season into snacks and baking ingredients that keep for months. Apricots are sweet and dry well, but they darken quickly once cut, and they can hold enough moisture in the center to spoil if they are packed too soon. The method depends on preparing the fruit correctly, choosing a drying temperature that suits the equipment, checking for dryness, and conditioning the batch before storage. This guide draws on three extension sources, and it explains where they agree and where they differ.

Quick answer

  • Cut ripe apricots in half, remove the pits, and slice the halves into even pieces.
  • Pretreat with ascorbic acid. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System gives 1½ teaspoons per cup of water for apricots.
  • Dry in a food dehydrator or oven at about 140 degrees F. The Alabama guide says oven drying should hold 140 to 150 degrees F.
  • Test for dryness after cooling, condition the fruit, and store it in a cool, dark, dry place. The Alabama guide gives a storage time of 6 to 12 months.

How we chose

The three sources were selected because they are published by state university extension programs and give specific steps that can be read in full. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System guide “Drying Fruits at Home” covers pretreatment, drying temperatures, dryness testing, and storage. The Clemson Extension Home and Garden Information Center fact sheet “Drying Fruits” covers preparation, drying endpoints, and cooling before packaging. The Penn State Extension publication on peaches, apricots and nectarines was used for the pitting step and for a note on keeping cut fruit in vitamin C water. Retail and product pages were not used. Each source was opened on 2026-10-27.

Preparing apricots for drying

Start with ripe, sound fruit. Penn State Extension advises choosing “ripe, mature fruit of a quality suitable for eating fresh.” Wash the apricots, cut them in half, and remove the pits. The Penn State publication includes the step “Cut in half, remove pits, and slice, if desired.” Slicing is optional, but the Clemson fact sheet states that “Thin, uniform, peeled slices dry the fastest.” Uniform pieces finish drying at about the same time, so a batch with mixed sizes is harder to judge. Thin slices or halves that are cut evenly are the easiest to manage at home.

Peeling is usually not necessary for apricots, but the Clemson fact sheet describes peeled slices as drying fastest. A cook who wants quicker drying can peel the fruit first, while a cook who wants a chewier, more intact piece can leave the skins on and accept a longer drying time. Either choice should be consistent within a batch.

Pretreatment to prevent darkening

Apricots darken when cut and exposed to air, and they can darken further during storage. The Alabama guide explains that “Many fruits, especially apples, peaches, and pears, tend to darken during drying and storage,” and says pretreating preserves color. It also says the steam blanch method reduces loss of vitamins A and C and helps with microbial concerns, though the blanch method is listed mainly for apples in its table.

For apricots, the Alabama guide recommends the ascorbic acid method. It says that “Ascorbic acid is used most often with apples, peaches, apricots, nectarines, and pears.” Its concentration for apricots is “11⁄2 teaspoons for each cup of water,” and it notes that “One cup of the solution will treat about 5 quarts of cut fruit.” The guide says to sprinkle the solution over the fruit as it is pitted or sliced, turning the pieces to coat all sides. Commercial color preservers are also mentioned as an option, and the guide tells readers to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for those products.

The Penn State publication gives a related instruction for keeping cut fruit light. It advises keeping peeled fruit in water with vitamin C, and describes mixing “1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid crystals or six 500-milligram vitamin C tablets in 1 gallon of water.” That mixture is a soak for peeled fruit, and it is a different strength from the sprinkle the Alabama guide describes, so the cook should follow the method chosen rather than combine them.

Drain the pieces well after pretreatment. The Alabama guide’s section on fruit juice pretreatment makes the point that draining is important because “excess moisture can increase drying time.” Wet fruit on the trays takes longer to dry and is more likely to stick.

Dehydrator and oven temperatures

An electric food dehydrator is the most common home tool for drying fruit. The Alabama guide describes a dehydrator that “can dry foods at temperatures up to 140 degrees F,” and tells readers to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The guide recommends placing the fruit in a single layer and checking it during drying. Expandable units can hold several trays, but the trays should not be overloaded.

The Clemson fact sheet says that “Food dries much faster at the end of the drying period, so watch it closely, drying until the food tests dry.” That means the last hours of drying need more attention than the first. It also cautions that “Since dried fruits are generally eaten without being rehydrated, they should not be dehydrated to the point of brittleness.” Apricots that are too dry become hard, while apricots that are too moist can mold in storage, so the endpoint matters.

Oven drying is the alternative when no dehydrator is available. The Alabama guide says to turn the oven on to 140 degrees F, use a clean, thin cloth on each rack, and place the fruit one layer deep. It advises keeping the temperature at 140 to 150 degrees F, leaving the oven door open 2 to 4 inches, turning the fruit every two hours, and checking the thermometer every hour. The guide also says that nonstick pans help prevent sticking when fruit is spread on pans.

Testing for dryness

The Alabama guide explains that “Fruit must be dry enough to prevent microbial growth and spoilage.” It recommends testing a handful after it has cooled, because warm fruit feels softer and moister than it really is. Squeeze several pieces together and then open your hand. If the pieces separate, they are dry enough to store. If they stay in a ball, they need more drying. Dried fruit should be leathery and pliable when it is ready.

The Clemson fact sheet says the drying endpoint is when the food tests dry, not when a set time has passed. Because dryness depends on thickness, humidity, and the particular dehydrator, the time given in any guide is an estimate. A cook should test several pieces from different trays before deciding the batch is done.

Cooling, conditioning and storage

After drying, cool the fruit before packaging. The Clemson fact sheet says to “cool fruit 30 to 60 minutes before packaging,” and it warns to “Avoid packaging warm food that could lead to sweating and moisture buildup.” The Alabama guide explains the same risk, advising that warm or hot fruit should not be placed in storage containers because moisture will develop.

The Alabama guide describes a conditioning or equalizing step. It recommends filling a clean, dry jar about three-quarters full with the dried fruit, tightening the lid, and leaving it for three to four days while shaking the jar daily. This helps any remaining moisture spread through the batch. The guide also describes an extra heating step for fruit that has been sun dried, and notes that the heat helps destroy any insect eggs and removes remaining moisture. The guide gives a 160 degrees F oven heating step of 10 to 15 minutes for that purpose.

For storage, the Alabama guide says to “Store dried fruits in a cool, dark, dry place.” It recommends checking the fruit every week for the first six weeks and gives a recommended storage time of 6 to 12 months. Glass jars with tight lids are a common choice, and containers should be clean and dry. Label each container with the date so older batches are used first.

What we could not verify

The sources do not give one drying time that fits every apricot variety, every climate, or every dehydrator. The Alabama guide’s oven range of 140 to 150 degrees F and its dehydrator figure of up to 140 degrees F are presented as general guidance, and the sources do not say how the two temperatures compare for the same batch. The Penn State publication focuses on the freezing and canning of apricots and peaches, so its vitamin C mixture was used only as a related reference for keeping cut fruit light. The sources do not describe sun drying apricots in a specific region, and the Alabama guide advises caution with sun drying because weather conditions can be unpredictable.

What the sources do not say

None of the reviewed sources gives a sulfur treatment for apricots, which some home guides describe, so that method is not covered here. The sources also do not give a fixed number of hours for a specific appliance, and they do not describe how to dry apricots in a microwave or air fryer. For canning or other preservation methods beyond drying, readers should follow current tested guidance from the USDA or a state extension service.

Frequently asked questions

Do apricots need to be pretreated before drying?

Pretreatment is not required for the fruit to dry, but the Alabama guide recommends it to preserve color. It describes ascorbic acid as the most common method for apricots and gives a concentration of 11/2 teaspoons per cup of water.

What temperature should I dry apricots at?

The Alabama guide says a food dehydrator can dry foods up to 140 degrees F, and that oven drying should hold 140 to 150 degrees F. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for dehydrators.

How do I know when dried apricots are done?

The Alabama guide says to cool a handful of pieces and squeeze them together. If the pieces separate, they are dry enough. The fruit should be leathery and pliable. The Clemson fact sheet says to dry until the food tests dry.

How long do dried apricots last?

The Alabama guide gives a recommended storage time of 6 to 12 months, stored in a cool, dark, dry place, with a weekly check for the first six weeks.

Should dried apricots be conditioned before storage?

The Alabama guide describes filling a clean jar about three-quarters full and shaking it daily for three to four days to equalize moisture. This step is part of the guide’s conditioning method.

Related guides

For other ways to keep harvest food, see how to preserve tomatoes and how to preserve herbs in oil. The best approach depends on the food and how it will be used later.

Sources

  • Alabama Cooperative Extension System, “Drying Fruits at Home,” HE-0360, reviewed August 2021, https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/home-food-preservation/drying-fruits-at-home/ (opened 2026-10-27)
  • Clemson Extension Home and Garden Information Center, “Drying Fruits,” HGIC 3084, updated June 7, 2024, https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/drying-fruits/ (opened 2026-10-27)
  • Penn State Extension, “Let’s Preserve: Peaches, Apricots, Nectarines,” updated April 13, 2023, https://extension.psu.edu/lets-preserve-peaches-apricots-nectarines (opened 2026-10-27)

Similar Posts