One of the oldest cultivated fruits, dates are the fruit of the date palm or Phoenix dactylifera. The exact origin of the first date palm is not known but references can be traced back as far as 5000-6000 B.C. in Iran, Egypt, and Pakistan. A few facts you may not know :
- Depending on their moisture content, there are three types of date: soft, semi-dry and dry
- More than 1,000 dates can grow on a single bunch
- Date palms cover 3% of the world's cultivated surface
- Four million tons of dates are grown annually
- Medjool dates are considered to be the most high quality date available
Rich in nutrients and health benefits, dates are considered to be a perfect food and contrary to popular belief, they are actually low on the glycemic index and don't significantly raise blood sugar levels after they are eaten so made into a paste, dates are an excellent alternative to sugar and liquid sweeteners in many recipes.
Date Paste GF SCD
organic pitted dates
filtered water
I use a mini chopper
to make small amounts of date paste and a standard sized processor or blender if I'm making a large batch.
I use a mini chopper
to make small amounts of date paste and a standard sized processor or blender if I'm making a large batch.
Tip the dates into a bowl, cover with filtered water and leave for up to 12 hours until soft. Depending on the type of dates you are using the soaking time varies. I use "soft" dates and these are ready to process after a couple of hours but "dry" dates may take up to 12 hours to soften. If soaking for longer than a few hours, place the bowl in the fridge.
Spoon the dates into the processor bowl or blender. Add a little of the soaking water and turn the machine on. Keep adding the soaking water as necessary to reach the required thickness.
You might be interested in these recipes which use date paste :