Fresh Dates for Delivery or Pickup

Dates grow on date palm trees and are prized as tasty dessert-like treats. There are several varieties of dates, but the most common are the Medjool and Deglet Noor varieties. People have been enjoying these sweet fruits for over 5,000 years in North Africa and the Middle East. Dates have pits, but you'll often see them sold without the pit. 

The average dates you find at grocery stores have chewy textures and offer sweet flavors. Dates change color from yellow when they're unripe to a dark brown or purple as they dry out. The skin of the date grows more wrinkly as they lose moisture. Dates vary in size depending on their variety. The flavor of dates changes depending on their level of ripeness. Ripe dates with some moisture left in them are called Rutab dates and have a smooth, honey-like flavor. Dried dates, called Tamar dates, are chewier than the Rutab and can have hints of caramel and butterscotch.

As you can see, there are many factors to consider when choosing your dates. Finding your favorite type is an adventure in itself between the different varieties of dates and the sublevels of ripeness.

Most of the dates you find at stores in the United States will be dried. If the date has wrinkly skin, it's dried. The smoother the date's skin, the fresher it is. Since dates are grown primarily in tropical climates, finding truly fresh dates outside of those areas can prove difficult. That being said, some dates are grown in warmer climates of the United States, so you may be able to find freshly picked dates depending on where you live.

Dates should be ready to eat as soon as you buy them. Be careful not to bite into dates that haven't been pitted yet. You should also be sure you remove the pits from dates before you add them to any recipes.

Though dates are likely most often enjoyed by themselves, they can be added to many recipes to add sweet, caramel flavors. Because of their candy-like, sweet flavor, they are popular options when making desserts. Try your hand at Middle Eastern desserts, such as Maamoul date-filled cookies. You can stuff Medjool dates with goat cheese, honey, and smoked paprika for a delicious savory-sweet combination. If you want to add the flavor of dates without having whole fruit in your creation, putting them in a food processor for a few seconds should do the trick.