Dried apricots smell of alcohol?
I recently opened a container of store-bought dried apricots and they smell vaguely of fermentation/alcohol. I've never noticed this before.
They taste fine, but should I be concerned? Do they need to be used soon?
Worst-case, would I end up sick, or just tipsy?
Best Answer
Many fruits start to ferment a bit, some even while still on the trees. For example orange juice normally contains a small amount (normally < 0.1 % vol.) of alcohol too. And some berries that grow in the dunes here in Belgium can make the birds who eat them tipsy when they are ripe (the birds fly a bit erratic during that season...).
The "smell" might also be something you associate with alcohol because you often smell it while sensing/using alcohol (technically you can't "smell" alcohol, as it's odorless, but you can "sense" it in other ways).
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How can you tell if dried apricots are bad?
How to tell if dried apricots are bad or spoiled? The best way is to smell and look at the dried apricots: discard any that have an off smell or appearance; if mold appears, discard the dried apricots.Can dried apricots ferment?
To Flavor Fermented Beverages It's a quick and easy way to add flavor and fruit sugar to a second fermentation of water kefir or kombucha. I grab a handful of dried blueberries or apricots and add them straight to the bottle, dicing them up quickly to fit if need be.Do dried apricots smell bad?
The number one danger in many commercially available dried fruits is sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is an unpleasant smelling gas that is created by burning coal or oil, and used as a disinfectant, a bleaching agent or as a food preservative.What do dried apricots smell like?
The Good Scents Company Information ListingsOdor Descriptors for fruit dried fruitodor: fruity berry ripe fruit black currant tropical fruit dried fruit apricot tagetteflavor: sweet fruity jammy floral magnolia tropical dried fruit apricot plum peachFRcigar fragranceFRdavana oil replacer86 more rows12 Health Benefits of Dried Apricots
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Answer 2
I've had apricots that smell vaguely like alcohol before, especially the ones that are not completely desiccated but are still plump and only dried to about half or so of their original volume. I've never had problems eating them and haven't had them go bad.
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