Pickles and preserves

Unsulfured Sun-Dried Apricots | Malatya-Style

Name: Unsulfured Sun-Dried Apricots | Malatya-Style
Prep time: 90 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 27 kişilik
Ingredients: 5000 gram ripe Hacihaliloglu apricots; 4000 ml water (for washing and soaking); 80 ml lemon juice

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Kemal BaşAide de Cuisine

01 September 2026 Last updated: 01 September 2026

Unsulfured sun-dried apricots are made by removing the pits from ripe Malatya apricots and drying the fruit in the sun without sulfur treatment. Sulfur keeps apricots orange; untreated fruit turns brown and has a deeper, more caramel-like sweetness. Choose fruit that is fully ripe on the tree but not bruised. Unripe apricots stay sour and tough after drying.

Unsulfured Sun-Dried Apricots | Malatya-Style

27 servings 90 min + 0 min Easy

Step by Step

How to make it?

Select and wash the apricots

20 min

Inspect the apricots one by one. Set aside any that are bruised, cracked, blemished, or soft and leaking juice; they will not dry properly and may mold. Wash the selected fruit in half of the water. Stir the lemon juice into the remaining 2 liters of water, soak the apricots in it for 5 minutes, then drain. The lemon juice slows browning during drying without keeping the fruit orange like sulfur treatment does. Dry the apricots completely on a towel.

Remove the pits

40 min

Open each apricot along its seam with your fingers and remove the pit without splitting the fruit all the way in half; keep the two sides joined at one edge. Press each opened apricot flat with its cut side facing up.

Lay out in the sun

20 min

Set up a clean cloth or wire rack in a dust-free spot in full sun. Arrange the apricots in a single layer with their cut sides facing up and not touching. Cover them with a fine mesh cloth to keep away flies.

Turn the apricots

10 min

On the morning of the third day, turn each apricot over so the outside gets sun as well. Two days later, turn them again so the cut sides face up.

Reminder

Dry the apricots in full sun for 7–10 days, covering them or bringing them indoors at night to protect them from dew. This drying time is not included in the recipe time. Do not store the apricots until completely dry: they should bend like leather, feel nonsticky and leave no moisture when pressed, and show no glossy, wet patch when cut through the center. Any remaining moisture can cause mold in the jar; discard moldy fruit. Sun-dried fruit may contain insect eggs, so freeze it in a sealed bag for 48 hours before storage. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 year.

Nutritional Values · 1 serving

Values are estimates

80 kcalCalories

1 gProtein

18.6 gCarbohydrate

0.15 gFat

2.2 gFiber

15.8 gSugar

3 mgSodium

0.01 gSaturated Fat

Protein 5% Carbohydrate 93% Fat 2%

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Nazlı Demirtaş 3 weeks ago

Hacıhaliloğlu dışında bir kayısıyla denedim, çekirdek çıkarılınca eti dağıldı ve güneşte lapa oldu. Sert etli kayısı şart, tarifte cinsin adının yazılması buradan geliyormuş.

Ingredients

3 ingredients · 27 servings for

27 servingsServing

For drying
5000 g ripe Hacihaliloglu apricots

What can I use instead?
Kabaasi apricots — larger and juicier; take 2–3 days longer to dry
4000 ml water (for washing and soaking)
80 ml lemon juice

What can I use instead?
citric acid — use 5.3 g dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water instead of 80 ml lemon juice; it will not add a lemon aroma