I saw a Marbella-inspired chicken recipe that calls for soaking chopped dried apricots in hot water. I have all the ingredients on hand, but the apricots, which have been in a metal-lidded glass jar for over a year, have turned brown. I have no idea if they were sulfured or not. I’d rather not go out for a new bag. I don’t care about the aesthetics of the finished dish, just if using these old ones will make for off/bad flavor.
Have you tried tasting one? Organic/non-sulphur-treated dried apricots are usually a browner-than-orange color.
You responded to BamiaWruz on this CH thread saying they’d probably be OK to eat/use, as it’s just a cosmetic change.
And this site says they’ll be fine:
https://www.quora.com/Why-are-some-dried-apricots-orange-in-color-and-others-dark-brown
I taste one just to make sure they didn’t taste funky (oxidation from the metal? Taste stale? )
I don’t see that they’d be a health risk, but not pretty as you mentioned – but if they taste okay, go for it!
I usually buy organic and they are brown to start with - unless I particularly want the colour say for a couscous. I don’t think I’d be too keen on using ones that had turned brown over the year - just sounds as though they aren’t fresh. The taste test is a good suggestion though
+4 on just tasting one. you could try reconstituting in a more flavorful liquid, too, like oj + water. if they are over a year at your house they may taste kinda tired.
Yeah, the flavor of the soaked ones is weak but I think I will add a dollop of apricot jam to the pan juices - that should help.
Same thing happened to me, but I researched it before using and it’s apparently a good thing. Means they weren’t sulphured.
Idiote moi! I’d forgotten that I had TJ’s frozen partly-dried apricots, which could be used without the soaking…
