Research Progress on Drying and Processing Technologies of Apricot Fruits

Apricot is an important traditional fruit tree in China, with fruits rich in bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, phenolics, and flavonoids, offering antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and chronic disease prevention properties. However, apricots exhibit high postharvest respiration rates, are prone to softening and decay, have a short storage life, and suffer from fresh fruit loss rates as high as 30%–50%, which severely restricts industrial development. Drying, as a key processing method for apricot fruits, can significantly extend shelf life, enhance added value, and promote sustainable development of the apricot industry. This paper systematically reviews research progress in apricot drying technologies, focusing on the process characteristics, drying effects, and limitations of methods such as natural sun drying, solar drying, hot-air drying, infrared drying, microwave drying, vacuum freeze-drying, and gas jet impingement drying. Currently, apricot drying still faces challenges including inconsistent product quality due to non-uniform maturity and size of raw materials, a lack of efficient quality-preserving drying technologies and equipment, and food safety and environmental risks associated with chemical pretreatments. Looking ahead, it is essential to develop efficient quality-preserving drying processes and intelligent equipment that eliminate the need for chemical pretreatments, tailored to the material characteristics of apricot fruits, thereby driving the apricot drying industry toward greener, safer, and higher-quality transformation and upgrading.