Dates

Phoenix dactylifera L.

Origin / Harvest:

USA / September–October

Description & History

The date palm has been cultivated and prized from remotest antiquity; its fruit has been the staple food and chief source of wealth in the irrigable desert of the Middle East and North Africa. Spanish missionaries carried the tree to the Americas in the 18th and 19th centuries, but it was not until the early 1900s that the United States cultivated a commercial date crop in southern California.

Typically, dates dry on the palm and are harvested at a naturally dehydrated state. We offer two of the most popular date varieties:
Deglet Noor – Semi–soft, medium/large, and amber colored, this variety makes up the vast majority of the dates sold in the retail market.
Medjool – This large, soft date is considered a premium fruit, as it is cultivated and harvested largely by hand. Medjools are considered less sweet to the taste and softer than other date varieties.

Chopped Dates and Date Paste are available by custom order.

Uses

With their naturally sweet flavor, dates are most popular as snack food. Whole or chopped, dates are an excellent addition to cooked cereals, yogurts, puddings, breads or muffins and even ice cream. Traditional Middle Eastern dishes incorporate dates into stews, stuffings, and pilafs. Date paste is a popular binding agent for energy bars, fruit bars and cookies.