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Dates origins uses recipes
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Origin and History
Evidence that the fruit was traded between India and the Arabian Peninsula dates back to the 1st Millennia BC, via the already established Frankincense and Myrrh trade routes.
It is easy to see how the use of this incredible fruit spread throughout the world; once dried, they are light to carry, self preserving (containing a high proportion of sugar) and with the nutritional attributes mentioned above, can be used as a major food source for dessert people, sailors on long voyages and armies as well as livestock.
Cultivation and Processing
Many people will have heard of the large Majool Date which is mainly grown in Morocco, but there are others including Barhee, Khalas, Zaghloul, Naghal and Jaberi Fardh. They all differ in colour, sweetness and texture. All in all there are over 600 varieties of dates grown world- wide .
Date Palms are dioecious that is to say there are male and female plants. It only requires one male plant to every 40 or so female trees to produce good crops when grown on a plantation. Now grown in tropical and sub tropical regions as well as in temperate regions in USA, Australia, and Mediterranean areas, most start to produce fruit at about 6 years but reach maturity at about 30 years and continue to produce dates for a further 70 years or so.
Depending on the variety, "fresh" dates are harvested 3-5 months after pollination, when they have slightly dried, coloured and ripened and have a moisture content of 35-40%. However it takes about 200 days for the fruit to reach the Tamr stage at which point the date has only 20- 24% moisture content. These are the fruit which are used for packaging or further processing . Once the dates are cleaned and sorted, some are packaged as they are and others are pitted and made into a variety of products such as pastes, liquid sugar, and date syrup.
Dates in Cooking
Dates can be used in a variety of both sweet and savoury dishes. When used in their dried form, they add a richness and sweetness unrivalled by most other dried fruit. They are particularly popular in middle eastern and North African cuisine.
Fresh dates will last for 1-3 months if kept in an airtight container and up to 6 months if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen. Pick good quality fruit, wash and remove the stones, then dry- pack whole in rigid containers leaving a head space of about 12mm/1/2-inch. Use within 6 months.
Semi dried dates often sold in boxes, will keep for several weeks if kept well wrapped in their containers.
Dried dates, will keep for several months if kept in an airtight container; longer if kept in the refrigerator. Dried dates should be firm but not hard.
Dates can also be purchased chopped and sugared or pitted and pressed into blocks. These types are usually cheaper and particularly suitable for use in recipes where the dates are cooked.
Below is a small selection of both savoury and sweet dishes using this delicious fruit. More date recipes can be found using the search form.
Happy Cooking!
Appetisers Blue Cheese & Date Bites Veg CD PFC 15mins Bacon Wrapped Dates HT PFC 25mins Hot Spiced Dates Veg HT PFC 25mins
Main Courses Fruity Wensleydale Salad Veg CD MC 25mins Stuffed Cabbage Veg HT MC 100mins Lamb stuffed with Dates HT MC 120mins Chicken and Date Tagine HT MC Moroccan 130mins Date and Pineapple Stuffed Pork HT MC 135mins
Desserts, Cakes and Baked Fayre Almond Pudding with Dates Veg HT Chinese DP 15mins plus chilling Date and Cream Cheese Dessert Veg CD DP 25mins plus chilling Date Biscuits Veg CD CBF 30mins Ginger and Date Scones Veg CD CBF 30mins Sticky Toffee Pudding Veg HT DP English 50mins plus soaking Upside Down Date Cake Veg HT DP 55mins Date and Cheese Bread Veg HT CD CBF 60mins plus proving Coffee Date cake Veg CD CBF 65mins plus cooling Date and Walnut Loaf Veg CD CBF 70mins plus proving
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Dates
are the fruit of the date Palm, Phoenix dactylifera which belongs to
the family Areaceae,. Dactylifera is Greek word for ‘finger-bearing’.
The
date palm is probably the oldest tree cultivated by man. Dates
have been cultivated and traded from as early as 5000 BC and whilst dates
were revered by many cultures, the Arabs seem to be the ones who hold it in the
greatest esteem. Indeed, it is historically known that desert people, in
particular the nomadic Bedouins, lived on dates and camel milk for months on
end.
The
spathes containing pollen on the male trees appear in early spring when
pollination takes place. The low level of fertilization obtained by wind
or insects would certainly be insufficient for commercial production, so man
assisted pollination takes place on plantations using both hand and mechanical
blowers. During the growing period, the fruit which is borne in clusters, may be
thinned to produce larger, better quality fruit. This is also done by
hand. 
