Storing Dates

[ReneL]

My wife and I just decided to go raw last week, and have purchased Alissa's book and DVD...so far we both really like it. I have a question about dates. We bought a pack of dates and have had them soaking, but how long should they soak for, and how should we store them after the soaking period? They soaked overnight, and we arn't sure if they need togo in the fridge or should be drained now. CAn anyone give us a hand?

[carolg]

Welcome to our group here. I soak dates when I am ready to use them only otherwise I store them in the refrigerator. So far never a problem with this method. I would would keep them in the water now. Look for a ketchup recipe or even some marinara's can use dates too. Doe has has fabulous ones she posted way back. Search under condiments word.

Now they are soaked, you can make some recipes. I don't recall if RP brownies, which you can use our search for uses it, but believe it does, can be whipped up quickly. They are delish and can freeze or refrigerator them if they get that far.

I have used dates or raisins interchangeably. Oh, you can make a pie crust with nuts, preferrably soaked over night and then drained, like almonds with the dates. Once in the FP and the dough looks like a ball, you can press into a pie pan and now create a filling. I bet you could freeze the crust if you didn't want to eat it right away and use up those dates. Hope this helps get you started. Sorry if I got a little carried away, but so excited as I am writing here.

carolg

[sungoddess]

What about fresh dates? Do they need to be soaked? They still look dried, but... they are not??? I don't know why dates confuse me so much :o

[carolg]

For marinara I do soak the dates in advance, but most times I don't use any sweetness in the marinara.

For the brownies and making pie crusts, I don't soak the dates as I don't plan ahead. It would probably be easier on my food processor if it was soaked, but usually I don't think that far ahead so it normally goes into my recipe "unsoaked." I tend to do things on the fly so "quick is best" for me. Hope this helps.

carolg

[KombuchaCHIC]

I've never soaked dates. They have always seemed soft enough to use them however I wished. I prefer Medjool as they as softer and juicier. When I blend up Neglect dates which tend to be drier and tougher, I just a some water. But perhaps soaking them is best. I think dates keep fairly well with a long shelf life just in a ziplock baggy, but soaked in the fridge in a tupperware is probably a good way to go. Good luck!

[carolg]

I buy dates, store them in refrigerator or freezer. I have a tendencey to leave my soaked stuff in jars in refrigerator and not always use them up in a timely fashion so they go bad. It's happened one time too many for sundried tomatoes that I always soak. For me letting dates hang in the refrigerator would be like my sundried tomatoes getting tossed at some point. Just me. See how much variety we have to choose from here.
carolg

[RowanC]

I never put my dates in the fridge. I just store them in the boxes they come in - and from those, I fill big glass jars.

When I need to use them, I take them from the glass jars and soak them.
Depends on the variety whether or not I soak them.

If I soak them, I use the water in next morning's smoothies.

Hope that helps...

[ReneL]

Thanks for all the ideas...just trying to get my bearings with buying, storing, soaking, sprouting, etc. all of these great new things that we have decided to try.

[veganman]

I find some of the dates, like Amber seedlings and Khadrawis don't really need soaking, but they are really yummy when you soak them. Deglets tend to need soaking.

I have also found that leaving them out of the fridge more than 15 hours or so causes the water to start fermenting a bit.