Bug in date

[Queen Bean]

I soaked almonds tonight in preparation for a chocolate almond shake I'm having tomorrow. As I was about to soak the dates, I thought I'd better open them up just to make sure there aren't any worms/bugs inside, as I'd read some hideous worms-in-dates posts previously. And guess what? I found a black bug...about 3mm long. Ugh. The dates really add something to the shake, but being vegetarian, the thought of possible bugs in there really freaks me out. I'm wondering if medjool dates are a safer option. Any thoughts?

[GlimR]

Anything of an organic nature can have bugs but rarely does. Of all the years I've been using medjools I have only found a worm once. Grossed me out too but such is life~ :)

[Irish_Vegan_Girl]

Oh my g*d. I had never heard of anything like that.

[Veganelle]

I didn't know about that either, until recently, from these boards. I often will just pop a whole date in my mouth and spit out the seed. Won't be doing that anymore!

[pixie_333]

I often will just pop a whole date in my mouth and spit out the seed. Won't be doing that anymore!

haha same here!

[T-Bird]

I've notice that when I split open a date - sometimes there are small black specks in their - I'm thinking eggs.

I toss those.

It happens more than you'd think.

And I used to be a mouth popper too!:eek:

Ah - well, vitamin b-12 anyone?

[Aleesha Sattva]

ummm hello people... LIVE food... ya, of course it sustains more life that human!!!

[greenday]

Yeah, I view the bugs as a good sign that the food isn't laced with insecticides. It's a GOOD thing. If you eat one by accident it won't kill you. Truth is if you've ever eaten at a restaurant you've probably consumed far worse at some point. Oh, and don't forget about that average of two live spiders an adult consumes in a year during their sleep! :eek: I once ate an entire aphid family on my collard wraps....bummer I didn't notice until it was too late. LOL.

[Susan123]

The organic romaine hearts my co-op gets *always* have bugs in them. They are from Taylor farms... I feel bad rinsing them down the sink...

[pixie_333]

The organic romaine hearts my co-op gets *always* have bugs in them. They are from Taylor farms... I feel bad rinsing them down the sink...

rinse in a strainer and take them outside. i capture insects in the house and set them free whereas possiable..even ones i'm majorly phobic of.

[Redrocket]

Yes you bet ya on the bugs, I buy dates by the boxfull. I always split them before I eat them, found many a bug in the dates over the years. Somehow I know a date is infected when I see one.:p Lots of experience I guess. :cool:

[Ocean]

ooh ooh!! I have a couple of good medjool date stories! The first one, I was eating them on the way home from the store. My mom was driving. I was probably about 16 years old. I took a bite and as I was chewing saw these spider web looking things. I told my mom there were little web type things. She said, "Oh, they look like that." I'd had them before, so I said, no, they are all over and there are little black things in them.

She slowed down (we were on a country road) and peeked into my date. "Spit it out! Spit it out!" She ordered. Immediately I launched my body half out of the still moving vehicle and mustered up as much of a propelling saliva mechanism as I could. My mom started laughing so hard (cause she wasn't the one with bugs in her mouth, lol!).

Another time, just about 2 years ago, my sister who is a teacher called me from school. She said, "I took a bit of a medjool date and all of the sudden this black soot was everywhere in my mouth, lips, shirt, floor, ect!"

I didn't know what to tell her. She had rinsed her mouth out and everything. She ended up being OK and later showed me the rest of the date she had kept in a bag. It looked like black spores, a very fine powder. Shudder....I am glad I got the bugs instead of that stuff, it looked scary!

Both of us were just fine though. But after my bug experience years ago, I ALWAYS take out the pit first and inspect the insides, just to make sure!

They are amazing 'dessert snacks' though!!

Ocean

[greenday]

:) I always open my dates, too! Just in case. I still wonder why some of them have lots of white, webby stuff inside? What is that?