Deal on Medjool Dates

[Soose]

Found nice big raw Medjool dates in 2lb packs for a really good price, just a seasonal special at a big buyer's club. Over $2 less per pound than the cheapest I can normally buy them for. :)

How long would you keep them? They are sealed in a plastic tub. Will they crystallize even if I don't open them? Should I refrigerate or freeze them? (It's turned cooler here and we'll start keeping even fresh fruits in the garage now. I am considering stocking up.

Before I stock up, I must consider the holidays coming up, and practice making some treats for my son. Other than eating plain, what's your favorite use of them, if you hit a bonanza price?

[katchmoleen]

WHERE DID YOU GET THEM???????? *pant pant*

[DebB]

I contacted the grower last year of dates that we bought at Costco. Here is his reply to my email about storing:

Dear Debbie:
We also believe that the very best long-term storage of dates is to freeze them. We do not, however, recommend bags unless they are specifically dedicated long-term freezer bags. Most are not and will only support freezing for a relatively short period of time without significant moisture loss.
My wife takes these extra precautions:
1: She accomplishes the project at the earliest possible time after harvest (for Medjool, now),(for Deglet Noor, very soon) in order to preserve the "fresh" taste and texture.
2: She places them in the refrigerator first in order to make them more solid for easier handling and to help prevent them from sticking together in the freezer.
3: She uses very heavy bags and has (at times) even used a vacuum sealing bag system and only fills the bags such that the dates form 1 layer.
4: She places the sealed bags inside large heavy Rubbermaid or Tupperware freezer storage containers.
5: She uses a dedicated freezer with a frozen temperature at or below zero degrees Fahrenheit.
6: When she wants to thaw and use some dates, she allows them to thaw in the refrigerator until they have equalized to refrigerator temperature.
7: Our family prefers the fruit be "just like off the tree" so she allows it to rise to room temperature before serving.
8: If the dates have dried ( even VERY dry ), she places them in one layer, inside a steamer basket or strainer, over a very large pot (8 quart or larger) of PREVIOUSLY boiling hot water, just off the heat, covers with a moist towel and allows the dates to rest for about an hour. This process gently rehydrates the fruit and I must attest that afterward it's almost impossible to determine which is fresh picked and which is a year old frozen / rehydrated date. If you "steam" the dates over live steam, the essential color, texture and flavor will change; not a "bad" thing, just not that fresh date taste, etc.
9: For use in baked products, a simple light steaming or even soaking over-dry dates in warm water will soften the fruit sufficiently so as to be an appropriate ingredient.
Our dates are held in cold storage throughout the packing season from harvest until the pack/ship cycle. This helps establish a fresher taste and appearance by not disturbing the nature of the fruit until just before packing. Our recommendation is to purchase several packages at the onset of the season so that you can personally freeze them for even better results than possible in our packinghouse.
further, please don't hesitate to contact me at once. Thank you for your continued patronage.

Sincerely,
SunDate LLC
Craig Schwab

[Soose]

Deb, thank you so much for the info!
Katchmoleen, I got them at Sam's Club. They were 2lb packs for between $8 and $9. Not the organic ones I've been buying, I guess. ( I was so excited, I didn't think to look right away.)

Still looking for applications. :) I saw the Snickers thread, but haven't tried raw cacao yet and my son has been allergic to chocolate but can eat carob while I have difficulty with carob...

[DebB]

You're welcome Soose ~ Hope it helps you out! *Ü*

[DopeRawAbundance]

Deb, thank you so much for the info!
Katchmoleen, I got them at Sam's Club. They were 2lb packs for between $8 and $9. Not the organic ones I've been buying, I guess. ( I was so excited, I didn't think to look right away.)

Not to blow your datebuzz, but dates are one of the top most pesticided foods according to a list I sawed. No organic, no deal, I say.

[DebB]

Datebuzz - I love that!

With the Sun Date brand, I did ask about them being organic and this is what the grower wrote (in with the above email):

Our Deglet Noor dates are sprayed (dusted) with Malathion and natural elemental sulphur (the yellow kind mined from the ground, NOT sodium metabisulfite the problematic preservative and NOT sulphur dioxide gas which is used in the DRIED (not fresh) fruit industry). This sulphur is a natural deterrent to pests. Literally, they smell it and keep away. This and the Malathion are rendered safe for human consumption after a very short time and are only used far in advance of the harvest to ensure far more than enough time has elapsed, in accordance with the specified labeled regulation. The Medjool dates are only dusted with sulphur, not Malathion as the pests that disturb Medjools all respond to the sulphur. It is my understanding that the very limited amount of "organic" dates available are all dusted with sulphur as it is a natural element, not a synthetic chemical. However, we are not "organic" in that we do also fumigate all our fruit in accordance with USDA approved guidelines, using a common food grade fumigant with very controlled procedures and techniques.
I hope that this answers your questions about our wonderful California dates. If you have anything further, please don't hesitate to contact me at once. Thank you for your continued patronage,
Sincerely,
SunDate LLC
Craig Schwab

[katchmoleen]

Oooohhh thank you thank you! The ones in my Sam's Club were 3 lb of $6.39. What a deal! They are not medjools, but they will do nicely for any desserts I make (save the medjools for snacking out of hand.) I got 51 pounds! :eek::D

Now I am stocked up for awhile!

[DebB]

I freeze them using my Food Saver and I've been really happy with how they are once thawed. *Ü*