Organic Apricots

Organic Dried Apricots

Apricots make more than just a killer jam. These guys are tasty, full of nutrients, health benefits and are extremely versatile. Lets have a look (spoiler: they're good for your eyes) as to what they really bring to the table.

Country of Origin: Turkey

HEALTH BENEFITS:

• Apricots are high in antioxidants, specifically carotenoids
• Good for the eyes
• Helps protect the liver
• Helps reduce inflammation
• Great for digestion & gut health

NUTRITION:

Apricots also bring to the table:

• Vitamin A, potassium & Vitamin E
• Copper, iron & niacin
• Manganese, magnesium & Vitamin B6

1 cup of dried apricots contains:

313 calories, 81.4g of carbohydrates, 4.4g of protein, 0.7g of fat, 9.5g of fibre.

RECIPE:

No-Bake Apricot Almond Coconut Energy Bites

Author: The Real Food Dieticians

Ingredients: 

• 1 ½ cups raw almond
• 1 cup dried apricots
• ½ cup shredded coconut 
• 2 Tbsp. almond butter
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
• ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• pinch of sea salt
• 1-2 Tbsp. water (if needed – add 1 tbsp. at a time)
• For a citrus twist, add ½ tsp. orange zest and juice from ½ an orange

Instructions: 

1. Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor except for the water. Process on low speed for several minutes stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
2. Ingredients will start to come together after a few minutes. If you feel the dough is too dry add 1 Tbsp. of water at a time and continue to process until ingredients start to stick together (see photo above for visual examples).
3. Transfer the dough to the loaf pan and press down firmly into the bottom of the pan. Top with coconut shreds (pressing them lightly into the surface) then place the bars in the fridge for 30 minutes or freezer for 10 minutes.
4. After chilled, remove bars from pan. Cut into 8 bars or squares.
5. Store bars in refrigerator.