Where to buy Medjool dates was once a foolish question. Unless you were a member of a royal family in the Middle East, you had no access to what many consider the best of all dates. Fortunately for all us commoners, it is now possible to get these sweet, plump, and tender fruits in dried form in many grocery stores, health food stores, and from online dealers. You can even order them direct from a grower.
People have harvested the date for longer than history records. The tree-like plant comes from desert oases of the Middle East and North Africa. The fruit was a staple food and a valuable trade commodity. Records from ancient Egyptian dynasties tell of the cultivation of palms.
Most people are familiar with the dried fruit, although it can also be eaten fresh. Edible varieties are graded as dry, semi-dry, and soft. The Medjool is 'soft', larger and sweeter than other varieties, and juicy even when dried. It is usually eaten as a snack or included on a cheese plate. The standard chopped date used in cooking is the Deglet noor variety.
Many nutritional sources state that dates are a perfect food, one which can sustain a good quality of life even if they are the sole item on the menu. They are vitamin and mineral rich, high in carbohydrates, and contain a little protein. High in natural sugar, they need no preserving other than being dried in the sun. As a nutritious snack, the delicious fruits are hard to beat.
The Medjool date is the most expensive, which reflects the labor-intensive production process. The date palm grows in hot, arid areas but needs a good supply of water that soaks its roots, conditions found at desert oases in its native lands. The palm is either male or female, and only the female bears fruit. Both are needed for production, however.
Today growers in many areas of the world plant one male tree for up to a hundred fruiting females. This saves space for productive trees but means that pollination must be done either manually or with wind machines. The fruit, seventy-five to a hundred feet above the ground, must be protected by nets to keep it from being eaten by birds. It does not all ripen at once, so harvesting is repeatedly done by hand.
People keep on buying the tasty fruit, even though it is pricey. The nutritive value and the wonderful taste makes for a popular snack, a great addition to granola and baked goods, and a healthy sweetener. The dried fruit is often part of holiday recipes, such as: insert an almond into a pitted date and roll in powdered sugar. Crunchy, sweet, and delicious!
Now that many people know where to buy Medjool dates, maybe farmers will produce more and the price will go down. We can always hope. But actually this tasty fruit, which is now grown in Mexico, California, Arizona, and Florida, is a good value even at ten dollars a pound. Check online for bargain prices or if you would like to buy them direct from the grower.
People have harvested the date for longer than history records. The tree-like plant comes from desert oases of the Middle East and North Africa. The fruit was a staple food and a valuable trade commodity. Records from ancient Egyptian dynasties tell of the cultivation of palms.
Most people are familiar with the dried fruit, although it can also be eaten fresh. Edible varieties are graded as dry, semi-dry, and soft. The Medjool is 'soft', larger and sweeter than other varieties, and juicy even when dried. It is usually eaten as a snack or included on a cheese plate. The standard chopped date used in cooking is the Deglet noor variety.
Many nutritional sources state that dates are a perfect food, one which can sustain a good quality of life even if they are the sole item on the menu. They are vitamin and mineral rich, high in carbohydrates, and contain a little protein. High in natural sugar, they need no preserving other than being dried in the sun. As a nutritious snack, the delicious fruits are hard to beat.
The Medjool date is the most expensive, which reflects the labor-intensive production process. The date palm grows in hot, arid areas but needs a good supply of water that soaks its roots, conditions found at desert oases in its native lands. The palm is either male or female, and only the female bears fruit. Both are needed for production, however.
Today growers in many areas of the world plant one male tree for up to a hundred fruiting females. This saves space for productive trees but means that pollination must be done either manually or with wind machines. The fruit, seventy-five to a hundred feet above the ground, must be protected by nets to keep it from being eaten by birds. It does not all ripen at once, so harvesting is repeatedly done by hand.
People keep on buying the tasty fruit, even though it is pricey. The nutritive value and the wonderful taste makes for a popular snack, a great addition to granola and baked goods, and a healthy sweetener. The dried fruit is often part of holiday recipes, such as: insert an almond into a pitted date and roll in powdered sugar. Crunchy, sweet, and delicious!
Now that many people know where to buy Medjool dates, maybe farmers will produce more and the price will go down. We can always hope. But actually this tasty fruit, which is now grown in Mexico, California, Arizona, and Florida, is a good value even at ten dollars a pound. Check online for bargain prices or if you would like to buy them direct from the grower.
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