What most people know as dates is the fresh date that the grapes pass to the table grapes, that is, very little or almost nothing. The date season is from October to January. It is then when the harvest is done and only then when the fresh date can be found; however, the date freezes excellently well due to its high concentration of sugars. This allows the cook to store in season, freeze (- 20ºC) and then consume them the rest of the year "on demand". It is best to defrost them cold (fridge), in 2 or 3 hours. The defrosted date loses, of course, part of its crunchy texture but instead loses very little flavor and is much more useful for the cook who has to chop it, wake it up or crush it.
It must be made clear that the fresh date is a product that, if not treated properly after harvest, is highly perishable. The high sugar content of the same (fresh almost 50% of its weight) added to an ambient temperature around 20ºC favors the fermentation of these sugars in a few hours. It is for this reason that the date that comes to us from Africa is a pass-through or semi-dry or dehydrated or as much confit in sugar.
The date throughout its formation, which comes to be about 5 to 6 months, goes through 4 stages or ages. We will be describing stage by stage.
KIMRI or green date It is the only inedible stage. This is the date that has just been born as a result of the fertilization of one of the three carpels (stigmas) of each female flower. This carpel develops an embryo to the detriment of the other two unfertilized carpels. Then the fertilized ovary begins to grow and goes from the size of a lentil to that of a date (6 to 8 cm.) In about 16 weeks. At this stage the date has its highest water content and lower sugars throughout its life. As a curiosity, those dates not fertilized (they are recognized because they have no bone inside) can develop this stage but from here they do not pass, in fact they can never reach maturation. They can be recognized because they are much smaller than their branch brothers, but they are fertilized.
KHALAL or yellow date . The "partial" maturity of the date begins here. This stage is easily recognized as the fruit turns from green to a yellow color (for the flavones or flavonols, pigments of this color). At this stage the date may be edible in some varieties (such as Barhi) but its high tannin content (up to 6%) makes it very acidic, rough and astringent to the palate. At this stage the date has a striking and very fibrous white meat (it must be taken into account that the date is made up of cellulose fibers and sugars), it is a crispy snack and if you have a little patience in the mouth, chewing some seconds can be passed from the initial astringency to a mild sugary taste. If this variety is frozen, it changes its stage to a more advanced one, so that after defrosting we have a very sweet taste, total disappearance of astringency and change the color to honey color. Most of the sugars present in Khalal state are of the sucrose type (sucrose is common sugar and is made up of glucose + fructose) or of the reducing sugar type.
RUTAB or brown-gold date . Rutab means "soft" and is the stage of complete maturity. The date turns a translucent amber color, its skin darkens to a more golden or brown color. Here the date begins to lose water, has lost tannins that are only 1% and is gaining in sugar content (sucrose) and especially those sugars belonging to the family of reducing sugars that become up to 50% of its fresh weight. Reducing sugars are very present in sweet wines (in fact they are responsible for their sweetness).
This is the state in which the date presents the largest range of flavors, textures and aromas; it still conserves its water and frequently secretes a kind of honey or molasses characteristic of this stage. The date is tender and very juicy, it is the true anthology of the product.
It is the most versatile stage, the date begins to have some wrinkle on your skin, it is left to touch, split, manipulate, cook and also does not lose aroma or flavor in a few days if the cold chain is not broken. It also freezes perfectly although, yes, it loses part of the aroma, approximately 30% of it. At this stage it is only possible to test it a few days after its harvest, this is the advantage that they occur in Spain. They are harvested from the palm tree and in 24 hours they are in the hands of any chef in our country.
TAMAR or dark brown date . Last stage of life of the branch date. It has lost much of the water and has up to 80% of its weight of sugar (the rest of the weight is bone), this is quite close to what people know and that is in the market. The date is very wrinkled, it is the driest, leatheriest and least juicy snack although it is the sweetest, it is also the least aromatic. It is darker brown, almost black.
PROPERTIES OF DATES
The date is a very particular fruit with unique characteristics. Nutritionally it is a very interesting product. A generic way of classifying dates types is in terms of texture and consistency. Different varieties and their maturation periods offer different characteristics, which also affect the final flavor. We find soft, semi-dry and dry dates. Broadly speaking, the softest or most tender dates are sweeter and contain a greater amount of sugars, although in general all ripe varieties of this fruit have a very high percentage, around 70-80% of sugars. Therefore, they are a great source of energy by being very caloric.
The Medjoul date is one of the most appreciated for its size and flavor, since its specimens can reach 7-8 cm in length. It is extremely sweet and very moist, tender and juicy, with a very pleasant flavor (it has toasted nuances with hints of caramel), both to eat it alone and to incorporate it in any culinary preparation that you want to sweeten. It provides energy and helps curb cravings for less healthy sweet products.
Of the nutritional characteristics of the date it should be noted that it is a natural sweetener, with a high content of natural sugars and a low glycemic index. It is very rich carbohydrates, proteins, fibers and minerals: Iron, Potassium, Calcium, Sodium, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese ... It is also rich in vitamins A, C and many of the group B. It does not have cholesterol or any type of vegetable fats, so it is a food widely consumed by athletes and a choice suitable for diabetics, always in moderation.
Dates have multiple health benefits among which we can mention, among others:
It reduces the impact of seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever or pollen allergy) due to the presence of organic sulfur in the date (it is not a very common element to find in food but it has many health benefits); dates have a high mineral content and their impressive iron levels make it an ideal food for people suffering from anemia ; extra energy supply thanks to the natural sugars present such as glucose, fructose and sucrose; reduces the risk and impact of intestinal disorders due to its content in nictin that inhibits the growth of pathological organisms; dates are used to combat the various diseases that affect the ear, nose and throat and also reduce the frequency of night blindness ; they are very useful for keeping the heart healthy due to its high potassium content, reducing the risk of stroke and other heart-related diseases; allow to control diarrhea and constipation ; Due to the high amount of minerals in dates it is a great food to strengthen bones and fight diseases such as osteoporosis ; the vitamins present in dates and the high concentration of potassium, make them an ideal boost for the health of the nervous system , etc,
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