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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.
An edible dried date is classified as soft (or tender), dry, and semi-dry. Most of us are familiar with the Deglet Noor, which is the dried date most often sold for cooking and eating. The Medjool is larger, moister, and considered to have superior flavor.
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.
This fabulous fruit, once jealously guarded for royal tables, is relatively expensive. It's taste alone might make the price acceptable. However, once people understand the labor-intensive process of getting the fruit to market, they might feel better about it all. Firstly, the date palm only thrives in hot, arid areas where there is abundant water - underground. This is why they were originally found only in oases in the desert. Both male and female trees are needed for a harvest.
To save space for productive trees, growers plant one male tree for every hundred or so female trees. To make pollination effective, it must be done by hand by intrepid people on tall ladders. The harvest is also done by hand, in order to select the ripe fruit from that which is still immature. In between pollination and harvesting, the palms must be protected from dust and birds with nets - all fairly difficult proceedings on plants 75 to 100 feet tall.
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.
An edible dried date is classified as soft (or tender), dry, and semi-dry. Most of us are familiar with the Deglet Noor, which is the dried date most often sold for cooking and eating. The Medjool is larger, moister, and considered to have superior flavor.
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.
This fabulous fruit, once jealously guarded for royal tables, is relatively expensive. It's taste alone might make the price acceptable. However, once people understand the labor-intensive process of getting the fruit to market, they might feel better about it all. Firstly, the date palm only thrives in hot, arid areas where there is abundant water - underground. This is why they were originally found only in oases in the desert. Both male and female trees are needed for a harvest.
To save space for productive trees, growers plant one male tree for every hundred or so female trees. To make pollination effective, it must be done by hand by intrepid people on tall ladders. The harvest is also done by hand, in order to select the ripe fruit from that which is still immature. In between pollination and harvesting, the palms must be protected from dust and birds with nets - all fairly difficult proceedings on plants 75 to 100 feet tall.
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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