Dates are very easy to store and are known for their long shelf life. The high sugar content of the fruit serves as a natural preservative. Dried dates have always provided the Bedouin with energy, vitamins and minerals on their long journeys through the desert - and are still an important part of the diet in the Arab world. But if you want to store dates, you don't necessarily have to use dried dates. The soft, juicy dates can also be stored for a relatively long time - you just need to keep them at the right temperature. Always refrigerated, we can offer the sweet desert fruit, which is only harvested once a year, in a great, juicy quality all year round. How should you store your fresh dates so that they remain edible at home for as long as possible? In this article you will find a guide to storing dates.
Storing fresh dates: tips from NaraFood
Do you have to store dates in the fridge? Or can you simply store the sweet fruit in the pantry? There are two factors that play a decisive role in the answer to this question: the variety and the ripeness of the fruit at harvest.
Varietal differences in terms of storage and shelf life
The type of storage and the shelf life of dates always depends on the variety. There are date varieties that are extremely resistant and are therefore designed to be stored for a long time. The Anbara organic date, for example, is one such variety that can be stored for a very long time without any problems. Anbara also means "store" in Arabic and was always kept in large quantities by the inhabitants of the desert for later use. Experience has shown that Khidri dates and Wanan dates are also quite robust varieties that can usually withstand temperature fluctuations without any problems. However, fresh Medjool dates are always best stored in the fridge and should not be kept at high temperatures for too long. If stored incorrectly, Medjool dates can dry out quickly and then become woody and hard.
The ripeness of the fruit determines storage
The ripeness of the fruit at the time of harvest is also decisive for the storage requirements and the shelf life of the date. The Arabic language defines up to 16 stages of ripeness through which the fruit passes. If the date is harvested early in the ripening phase, it is particularly soft and juicy. If the fruit is allowed to ripen further on the date palm, desert winds and sunlight cause the fruit to lose most of its water - the flesh then becomes drier and firmer.
Our rule of thumb for storing dates is: the softer and juicier they are, the more important it is to store them in the fridge. The firmer and drier the dates are, the better they can withstand high temperatures.
We divide the dates in our range into the following categories according to their degree of ripeness:
- Super Fresh dates
- Fresh dates
- Semi-dried dates and dried dates
At this point, it is important for us to point out that dates are a natural product and can therefore always be subject to certain fluctuations. The classification into these categories is therefore not set in stone and can have fluid transitions.
1. dates of the Super Fresh class
Our Super Fresh organic dates are picked from the palm tree around three weeks before the actual harvest begins. They are the first ripe fruit of the season and are eagerly awaited every year. Super Fresh dates have just reached full ripeness and are particularly moist and juicy. They are removed from the palm by hand, as the thin skin threatens to tear open quickly. Carefully packed, the dates are then immediately stored in a cool place.
How do Super Fresh dates behave at what temperatures?
- At -16 °C to 0 °C (in the freezer), the dates will keep for at least 1 year from harvesting
- At 2 °C to 8 °C (in the fridge), the dates can start to sweeten after 3 - 6 months (this is not a problem, the taste of the dates does not change)
- Our Super Fresh varieties:
- Medjool Super Fresh Organic Dates (experience has shown that these are among the most sensitive varieties and should be stored in the freezer compartment if at all possible)
- Wanan Super Fresh Organic Dates
- Fankha Super Fresh Organic Dates
- Mactoumi Super Fresh Organic Dates
2. fresh dates
These dates are harvested when the fruit has reached a certain robustness and no longer needs to be handled with too much care. However, our fresh dates are still juicy and soft. They are stored in a cool place immediately after harvesting so that they do not lose any moisture.
How do fresh dates behave at what temperatures?
- At -16 °C to 0 °C (in the freezer), the dates can be kept indefinitely
- At 2 °C to 8 °C (in the fridge), the dates can be kept for at least 1 year from harvest (experience has shown that this is usually much longer - after a year, however, the fruit can lose moisture and start to dry out)
- Our fresh varieties:
Which container is best for storing fresh dates?
When storing dates in the fridge, the method of storage hardly matters. Whether you leave the dates in our white Nara boxes or repack them in another storage box made of glass or plastic does not change the shelf life of the dates. However, if you want to store soft, juicy dates at room temperature, they should not be sealed airtight. If the fruit still contains a lot of moisture, it is an advantage to give it some air to breathe. Over time, the dates will naturally lose some of their moisture, but at least they will not normally develop mold. In any case, the dates should be well protected from dust and insects.
Storing dried dates: a supply that pays off!
These dates remain on the palm tree until they have lost most of their moisture due to hot desert winds and sunlight. Dried dates can be stored in the cellar/storage room or in the kitchen cupboard at room temperature without any problems. In our experience, the fruit can be kept indefinitely in a semi-dry or dry state - but at least 2 years from the time of harvest.
There is not much you can do wrong when storing dry dates. And it is definitely worth stocking up on dry dates! Dates are extremely nutritious and not only provide our bodies with energy, but also with a lot of important vitamins and minerals - almost everything we need for a balanced diet. The desert fruit is a wonderful natural source of fructose and can be used instead of industrially produced sugar in both cooking and baking. We also offer almost all of our dates in larger pack sizes (3 kg to 5 kg) to save on plastic and packaging materials.
A classic storage date, for example, is the Rabbi date from Iran. The small, elongated fruit is hard and dry and therefore extremely resistant - it can be stored virtually indefinitely and is also very inexpensive.
An overview of our stored dates:
- Safawi organic dates
- Ajwa organic dates
- Anbara organic dates
- Sayer organic dates
- Khidri organic dates
The following applies to all dried dates: if the fruit becomes too hard or too dry, you can simply soak it in warm milk or water until it has reached the desired consistency. The dates will soak up the liquid and can then be easily processed.
Our insider tip for storing fresh dates
On warm summer days, there is nothing better than a cold, refreshing fruit ice cream - especially one that is sugar-free and therefore fits in with a healthy, balanced diet! For a delicious fruit ice cream, you can simply buy a pack of Super Fresh dates, keep them in the freezer and serve them frozen when you need them. Due to their high fructose content, the fruit doesn't actually freeze, it just solidifies. For a slightly more special version of this fruit ice cream, you can fill the dates with nuts beforehand, skewer them on a wooden stick and coat them with chocolate. Without adding any sugar, you can prepare a summery dessert that is sure to succeed!
