How long would date syrup (dates + water) keep?

[raweater]

Since I try to eat only whole foods I was thinking about replacing agave with blended dates and water to make date syrup, but would this go bad quickly? I'd want it to keep at least a week.

Thanks

[Veganforlife]

In the fridge I would keep it no longer than a week. And that might be pushing it.

[klomasius]

Depends on what you call date syrup.

I find blended dates and water goes off quicker than the actual date syrup I make (dates soaked in a small amount of water overnight in a bowl at room temp and the water poured through a sieve, comes out clear and dark). I think because it's higher in sugar (which acts as a preservative).

The blended date syrup lasts for about a week, I wouldn't use it any longer than that. But the syrup I can keep for several weeks in the fridge and it tastes fine.

Also, you could try making banana syrup, that lasts about a week in the fridge and is delicious, a bit more subtle in the sugar department than the date syrup.

[Diana Cda]

Also, you could try making banana syrup, that lasts about a week in the fridge and is delicious, a bit more subtle in the sugar department than the date syrup.Resurrecting this old thread because I'm on a quest again to replace agave nectar. I don't use agave for much, only for clear liquids (tea, lemonade, drinks made with soda plant) but I'd like to eliminate it completely now once and for all.

Many years ago, I stumbled upon something many people probably sooner or later stumble upon when going raw, you soak dates and get not only the expected softened dates, but date syrup. Good date syrup will be as expensive as agave but it seems worthwhile to re-visit it.

For about a couple of years now I've been using deglet dates and have stopped using the not as nice pitted "cooking dates", as they're called.

I don't have enough dates to make date syrup but in the meantime I tested the deglet date paste last night in a soda plant drink and it tastes much better than the flavour of that made from "cooking" dates so I think that for clear, cold drinks I can get used to the flavour.

But the banana syrup mentioned here sounds intriguing. Does anyone know what it is and how to make it? If there is _anything_ that might work in lieu of agave and even date paste, I'd like to try it. Thanks.

[christinajade]

I make a bunch and then freeze in little one serving bags so I just take them out as I need them.

[klomasius]

What a coincidence!

I don't visit this forum for ages and I see this post!

I stumbled upon the method of making banana syrup several years ago when my freezer was off and everything in it melted.

I'd had some bananas frozen in there, sitting on some baking paper and they defrosted, leaving a pool of sugary syrup on the bottom of the freezer.

The banana syrup method is really easy and does not require a dehydrator. The syrup is thinner than commercial syrups, but can be 'dehydrated' the freezer (or even the dehydrator, I've actually made raw lollipops with it).

If you leave the bananas in the freezer out of a container (i.e. on baking paper), the extreme cold will take some of the water out of them (you can see that they dry a little) and will help to make the syrup more concentrated when you defrost them.

The first method below is the one I've mentioned, the second method is similar in concept to the date method, but the bananas need to be dehydrated.

Banana Syrup #1 (freezer method)

Take several bananas, peel, chop and freeze them overnight (or longer and exposed in the freezer to dry them out).
Take the bananas out of the freezer and place into a large sieve. Sit the sieve onto a jug or bowl to catch the syrup. As the banana defrosts, the liquid seeps out through the sieve and into the jug as syrup. Leave the banana overnight to ensure maximum syrup extraction. Once the liquid has stopped dripping from the sieve, store the jug in the fridge.
Note: the yield from this method is lower than the method below, but does not require a dehydrator and gives a clear syrup with no pieces.



Banana Syrup #2 (1st dehydrator method)

Peel and chop bananas and pace in the dehydrator for 12 hours.
Take dried bananas out of the dehydrator. At this point, the bananas can be stored in an airtight container and kept until required.
To make syrup from them, place the dried bananas in a bowl and cover with enough water to cover two thirds of the dried bananas. Leave to soak overnight, occasionally agitating the bowl gently to move the dry pieces into the liquid. Pour resulting syrup through a sieve and store in the fridge.

[Aleesha Sattva]

very very cool!!!

i can see those who juice fast liking this a LOT... cause you can't juice bananas but this way you could get the banana flavour in some of your juices.

i'm saving this one! thanks.

[Basenjimamma]

this sounds good..I will have to try it.

[roseyonnex]

Wow, that is great info on banana syrup! Thanks!

[wholefoodie]

I think making date syrup is a great idea, but buying it, in some ways, makes more economical sense. I know at least at OrganicsAreForEveryone.com, you can buy a 12.8 ounce jar for 10 bucks and the smooth, rich texture is hard to replicate in your own kitchen. There are a pound and a half of some of the best dates money can buy in each jar, so it really adds up to a costs savings.

[klomasius]

Sounds like a great idea! As long as the product is raw. That's why people often go to great lengths to make substitutes, most of the sweeteners easily available are not raw. The dates in jars I've seen have added processed sugar in them, or other things like preservatives, making them not raw.

[Mary Kay]

Klomasius,

Cool. Thanks for taking the time to share all of that info.


Mary Kay

[klomasius]

Meh, not a worry at all. :)

My information, your information.

It's all copyleft you know. :D

[LemonFlower]

Hi Katy,


Currently our product cannot be considered raw. We use a steam extraction to draw the syrup from the dates. However, we are minimally processed compared to maple syrup and many agave products out there. It contains no preservatives, just 100% organic dates.


Thank you for your interest!


Customer Service
Organics Are For Everyone, Inc.
www.OrganicsAreForEveryone.com


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[Shona]

According to the info in Raw For Dessert by Jennifer Cornbleet, date paste [dates and water] keeps in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks and in the freezer for 1 month. I think this would apply to date syrup as well considering it's simply a runnier version of date paste. :)

[Diana Cda]

Sounds like a great idea! As long as the product is raw. That's why people often go to great lengths to make substitutes, most of the sweeteners easily available are not raw. The dates in jars I've seen have added processed sugar in them, or other things like preservatives, making them not raw.Sorry, I missed all the responses to this thread.

That's how I feel. I don't care, actually, how long something takes to make vs. going to buy because I don't trust _anything_ that comes in a jar, 100%. Yes, I do buy a very few products that come packaged but they're on the side of minority <g>. There is almost always some unwanted processing that comes in packaged products.

So for me, it's a moot point. I now use bored (dates have pits bored out and are not just pitted which often misses a lot of pits!) raw, organic deglet dates that make the absolutely smoothest date paste ever and it takes no time to prepare.

I fill a Magic Bullet blender cup with deglet dates and top the cup with water. I leave out for at least a couple of hours, covered, then I blend up till smooth. I cover and then refrigerate. All of this takes only a few seconds, tops! No fuss, no muss and I know _exactly_ what's in my container of date paste.

I make my own garlic paste and lemon juice, too (and orange juice, and grapefruit juice, etc, etc!). So there isn't any "economy" in saving money by buying prepared food, only in making sure things are as raw as I can make them.

I might not have too much choice in a couple of instances, granted. The ground, "raw" vanilla bean that I buy may not even be truly raw even though it says so but even when I buy the beans myself and dry them, then grind them, they might not be raw, either. So that's one of the few products I buy that is packaged, along with Nama Shoyu - which I use extremely, extremely sparingly! It gives me an ache every single time I eat it in my left rhomboid muscle which is absolutely weird!! But I swear on everything I hold dear that I get an ache exactly in the same spot whenever I eat it! So I use it only when I absolutely crave an oriental flavour to a meal. So a small bottle of it lasts me forever! <g> :)

[somelikeitraw]

klomasius - thank you so much for the banana syrup recipes! I am also avoiding agave and these recipes will really help.

[LiveLife]

I blend dates with water and try to keep it on hand as much as possible. I find that it lasts for 6 or 7 days but that will also depend on how cold you keep your fridge...

[Aleesha Sattva]

let's bump this bad boy up!!!

[GlimR]

I fill a mason jar about 3/4's full of pitted medjool dates and fill the jar with coconut water, stick it in the fridge. For a couple of days I shake the jar, then take a spoon and kind of work it up and down to break up the softened dates. This is THE most delicious sweetener out there. You could blend it if necessary to make it smoother but the coconut water makes it so much better than regular water. I keep it about 2 weeks with NO problems at all...still tastes exactly the same, no fermentation in that time....amazing stuff.

AND.... you can use medjools that have been around (in the fridge) awhile and gotten hard.

[Aleesha Sattva]

mmmm thanks Glimr!!!

[Mary Kay]

Good to know, Glimr. Thanks!

Mary Kay