How to Dry Apricots Two Ways (Food Dehydrator or Oven)

Do you have an abundance of fresh apricots on your hands? Come learn how to dry apricots two ways: in a food dehydrator, or using the oven. This is a super quick and easy way to preserve apricots, and create a delicious healthy snack! I’ll also cover how to best store dried apricots to maximize their shelf life too.

We’re blessed to have a huge old apricot tree in our backyard. It provides us with seemingly endless fruit each summer, far more than we can eat fresh. So in addition to drying apricots, we always make a big batch of our favorite low sugar apricot jam too. It’s like summer in a jar!

RELATED: Love drying fruit? Come see our best tips on dehydrating apples, dried persimmons or how to dry orange slices – which make really beautiful natural holiday decor!

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Supplies Needed

You can dry apricots in either a food dehydrator or the oven. I like using a food dehydrator because it requires less oversight and is impossible to accidentally burn them. We use our favorite Excalibur food dehydrator. Between it’s timer, precise temperature settings, and fan in the back of the machine (rather than top or bottom), we just set it and forget it! I don’t even have to rotate the trays.

• Fresh ripe apricots
• A food dehydrator or oven 
• A wire baking rack and baking sheets (if using the oven)
• Air tight storage containers

Step 1: Cut and Pit Apricots

Begin by washing your apricots. Next, cut each one in half. (Since there is a large pit inside, you’ll need to cut in a circle around the pit rather than slicing right through it.) Gently twist to separate the two halves and remove the pit from the center. Most popular apricot varieties are “freestone”, so the pit should come out fairly easily – especially if the fruit is ripe.

Step 2: Spread on Trays

Spread out the apricot halves with their skin-side facing down in a single layer on food dehydrator trays, OR on oven-safe wire baking racks set on top of baking sheets. Placing the skin side down prevents them from sticking to the tray below.

Apricots dry best in the oven using wire racks, as it allows ample airflow around the fruit. If you don’t have wire baking racks, you can put them directly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper instead. However, you’ll need to turn and flip them every hour this way, and it will take longer to dry.

Step 3: Dehydrate

In a food dehydrator, dry apricots on 135°F (medium heat or fruit setting) for approximately 8 to 12 hours. The time it takes to dry apricots depends on your dehydrator, how large and juicy the fruit are, and just how “done” you want them. For instance, they’ll dry faster using a hotter setting.

In the oven, use the lowest temperature setting possible (150-175°F) until they seem fully dry – about 6 to 8 hours, possibly longer. Start routinely checking on the dried apricots after the first 2 to 3 hours. If you aren’t using a wire rack, flip the fruit over every couple of hours. If you’re drying more than one tray, rotate the trays a few times too.

*See more notes about assessing doneness below.*

When are apricots done drying?

The apricots are done drying once they’re no longer wet or sticky in the center, have become leathery, and the edges start to curl. Because they do not contain preservatives, homemade dried apricots won’t be as thick and moist as ones you may buy in the store.

The exact time to stop drying is a bit of a personal judgement call. Drying the fruit for a shorter period of time will result in more soft and supple dried apricots. The longer they dry, the more tough, chewy, and jerky-like they will become. I like to dry mine until they’re no longer wet, but still have some bend and softness to them.

You may find some pieces dry faster than the others, so I usually check on them after 8 to 10 hours, remove the ones that are done, and allow the rest to continue to dry.

Keep in mind that the more moisture that remains, the shorter their shelf life will be. Too much leftover moisture can lead to mold growth in storage. Therefore, if you like your dried apricots soft and plump, plan to eat them within a couple months of drying. If you make them extra-dry, they can last up to a year or longer in storage (but may not be quite as pleasant to snack on without reconstituting first). See more storage tips below.

Storing Dried Apricots

Once the dried apricots have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight storage container of choice. Good examples include zip lock bags or a large glass container with tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dark, dry location.

If properly dried, apricots should stay good in dry storage for several months or longer. Though not required, storing them in the refrigerator will help prevent mold and extend their lifespan even further – up to a year. As long as they don’t grow mold, they’re still good!

Ways to Use Dried Apricots

Dried apricots are fantastic to eat on their own as a snack or healthy dessert. You can also chop up and add dried apricots to salads, trail mix, baked goods, homemade sourdough granola or sourdough bread, on top of plain yogurt, in oatmeal, or paired with cheese and crackers or bread. I love mixing dried apricots with a handful of pecans or almonds for a well-balanced snack. Dried apricots pair really well with chocolate too. Consider dipping some in melted chocolate, or adding chocolate chips to your homemade trail mix as an extra decadent treat!

If your dried apricots are on the tough side, you can easily reconstitute them by soaking them in water. Simply cover the dried apricots with warm water in a bowl, let them sit as long as needed to get soft and plump again (about thirty minutes to a couple hours), and then drain the water and pat dry.

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How to Dry Apricots (Oven or Dehydrator)

Dried persimmons are delicious, nutritious, and easy to make! Learn how to dry persimmon slices (Fuyu or Hachiya) in the oven or food dehydrator with this step-by-step guide.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time6 hours hrs

Course: Dessert, Preserved Food, Snack

Keyword: dehydrated apricots, dried apricots, how to dry apricots, preserving apricots

Equipment

• A food dehydrator or oven
• Wire baking racks and baking sheets (if using the oven)
• Air tight storage containers

Ingredients

• Fresh ripe apricots

Instructions

• Wash the apricots well.
• Use a knife to cut each apricot in half (cutting in a circle around the pit) and then gently twist apart each half. Remove the pit.
• Spread out the apricot halves with their skin side facing down in a single layer on food dehydrator trays, OR on wire baking racks set on top of baking sheets. (See notes below)
• In a food dehydrator, dry the persimmons on 135°F (medium heat or fruit setting) for approximately 8 to 12 hours.
• In the oven, use the lowest temperature setting possible (150-175°F) until the centers are fully dry – about 6 to 8. Start routinely checking on the dried apricots after the first 2 to 3 hours. If you aren’t using a wire rack, flip the fruit over every couple of hours. If you’re drying more than one tray, rotate the trays a few times too.
• The apricots are done drying once they’re no longer wet or sticky in the center, have become leathery, and the edges start to curl. Drying the fruit for a shorter period of time will result in more soft and supple dried apricots. The longer they dry, the more tough, chewy, and jerky-like they will become. The more dry they are, the longer they'll last in storage.
• Once the dried apricots have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight storage container (e.g. zip lock bags or a large glass container with tight-fitting lid). Store in a cool, dark, dry location.
• If properly dried, the apricots stay good in dry storage for several months or longer. Storing them in the refrigerator will help prevent mold and extend their lifespan even further (though not required).
• Enjoy dried apricots as-is, in trail mix or granola, with oatmeal, yogurt, cheese, chocolate and more!
• If your dried apricots are on the tough side, you can easily reconstitute them by soaking them in water. Simply cover the dried apricots with warm water in a bowl, let them sit as long as needed to get soft and plump again (about thirty minutes to a couple hours), and then drain the water and pat dry.

Notes

Using wire racks helps apricots dry more evenly and quickly in the oven, allowing airflow all around fruit. If you don’t have wire baking racks, you can put them directly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper instead. However, you’ll need to turn and flip the slices every hour this way, and it will take longer to dry.

Well folks, that concludes this lesson. I hope you found this guide to be useful. If so, please leave a review – and feel free to ask any questions!

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