Need help picking dates...

[LemonSlice]

Hi ya'll! I went to Costco and saw 2 brands of dates. One called "Sun Dates" and another called "Hadley". It doesn't say if they are raw or not, and I can't call them to find out cause it's Saturday, but does anyone know if these are raw?

[LemonSlice]

Well I called both of those companies, and Hadley said their Deglet Noor dates are dehydrated, and not under the sun. Then I called Sun Dates, and they also said their Deglet Noor dates are dehydrated in an oven at 130 degrees. So it sounds like both those dates are NOT raw. Then I asked Sun Dates if their Medjool dates are raw, and they said that they are not dehydrated, but just cleaned up and packed. So I guess that means they are raw?

[streetsurfer]

The oven may reach. 130° but it is unlikely the dates do. I wouldn't worry about it myself. For all intents and purposes I'd call them raw. They are certainly not cooked. Others may surely feel differently.

Higher temperatures are often used to bring things up to temp and dehydration level more quickly so as to retard spoilage and growth of bacteria.

[LemonSlice]

Does anyone else have an opinion about this? Cause I'd rather buy the much cheaper Hadley dates than spend more on those raw Medjool ones.

[streetsurfer]

I think you will find that my opinion is not the norm. Most more dedicated raw foodists are stricter than I. I don't want to lead you down the wrong path. Others will be able to give you more experienced opinions in the coming days. Welcome to the forum by the way. I hope you find all the info you are searching for. It is a great place for support and friendships. Welcome aboard.

[Dimond]

I found with dates that it's beyond being picky. When I first started buying them, I got them store bought at Whole Foods (apparently not completely raw). I couldn't understand why everyone thought they were so great on their own. I didn't think they tasted that good, but worked well in recipes. Then I finally tried fresh ones and realized just how delicious they were in comparison. I will never again compromise. I do tend to be strict with raw anyhow & find it to my benefit. You can often find good deals on the internet for dates (usually direct from the growers) if you're willing to buy a few pounds at a time. Since they usually go quickly, it makes sense to buy in bulk anyhow.

[walnutty]

This is crazy! I never knew dates were anything but raw. Now I am wondering how you can tell? How can you make sure that you are getting raw ones? ...ugh...

[Dimond]

Really what I think is important is that they're sun-dried rather than dehydrated. I believe that is what makes the flavor better. The only way to know is to ask the grower or manufacturer. A lot of times dehydrated has other things done to it as well. I remember years ago asking Sun Maid how they process their raisins & there were different things they did to them that rendered them unraw. Unfortunately it's rare to find raw sun-dried fruit in a store. Or if it is they add unhealthy stuff to them to keep them fresh.

Many on here buy from The Date People.