11lbs of dates.

[krikit]

I just bought a bulk bunch fresh medjool dates and i thought hey would come in 1lb packages. well they dont and now i need to know hw o store them . any suggestions?

[kaybee]

plastic ziploc freezer bags. store in the fridge

[T-Bird]

I'll be right over to lighten to load - you won't have 11 lbs for long!:p

[DebB]

I've successfully frozen dates using plastic bags and our Food Saver.

A couple years ago I emailed SunDate folks - Costco carries their dates and asked about storage and this was his reply: (I'll leave in the part where they steam them etc...)

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.

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

[Mary Kay]

I've probably gotten the exact same kind of dates. We have a walk-in cooler at our farm, and I just put the whole box in there. I wrapped it in a garbage bag.

But if you don't have room for that whole box, then you could do like DebB says, and if not enough room in your fridge, then you could put into a cooler in your basement. You might want to put a piece of cotton or unbleached paper towel or a clean rag in each bag to keep any additional moisture away from the dates.

HTH,

Mary Kay

[dicenut]

Aloha,

I was just wondering where you bought your dates


Thanks

[Mary Kay]

I can tell you where I got mine --and I'd guess it's prob the same place:
oasisdate.com

I've bought them both directly from the company, and also through United Food Buying Clubs (a co-op) - whichever had a special/sale going on.

Oh, while looking for the website (all I have is their phone # in my files), I came across a fascinating article about dates by a man named Eric Hansen. It talks about Oasis Date Gardens and how all the medjool dates in the U.S. started from 11 small cuttings. Two of which were dug up by dogs!

Mary Kay