How to store fresh dates?

[Minibean]

The supermarket I shop at just recently started getting in fresh medjool dates. I had never had fresh ones before - wow! They taste JUST like caramel. Anyway, I'm wondering how long they will keep and where I should store them. Figured someone here would know as I've seen a lot of talk about dates here. :)

[tracyinfo]

I keep mine in the cupboards. I have refrigerated them before, and they got really hard.

My suggestion, is if you use or eat them regularly, keep them in the cupboards. If you will not eat them within a month, refrigerate the dates. To soften them up, place in a bowl of warm water. Never throw away the soak juice from dates. Add it to a shake or if your recipe calls for water, use the soak water. It is delicious!

Blessings.

[RawTruth]

What she said. :D

[Shona]

I keep dates, as well as all my other dried fruits, in the refrigerator during the summer - my pantry is so warm, I worry about stuff going moldy. Blech.

Shona :)

[Secret Heart]

I also keep all of my dried fruits in the fridge in the summer without fail.
Then I set them out and let them come to room temperature for awhile before I eat them. Works great!

Heather

[zeeraw]

I bought some last week. We can get them prepackaged or loose. I got some prepackaged ones and they had BEST BEFORE OCT 2005. So I'd say they last a couple of months. Now our dates (as I live in Aust.) are imported so you may find yours should last longer than about 4 months. By the way I keep mine in the fridge coz they're in the refrigerated part of the fruit and veges.
Z :)

[Mary Ellen]

I read a very long article about dates today trying to find how to store them. This very learned article said dates freeze very nicely and are barely affected by the freezing process. I believe they dry out in the frig.

[MrsJ]

I love frozen medjool dates.

(drool)