Date is a sweet fruit that is specially known for its great taste. It grows in the tropics and locally here in the northern part of Nigeria and is popularly known as dabino in the Hausa dialect. It is often sold along side ofio or aya, called tiger nuts in English.
The fruit is oblong( longer in one direction than the other), usually 1-3 inches, long, dark brown, reddish, or yellowish brown when ripe. With thin or thick skin, sweet flesh.
If you are getting dates directly from a farm note that it is astringent until fully ripe.
Dates are eaten because of their wonderful sweet taste, they are an excellent natural sweetener that leave no adverse effect on the body after use as refined sugars would do.
Some uses of these wonderful date fruits:
Dry or soft dates may be chopped and used in a great variety of ways:-
In pap or gruel, in pudding, bread (either to act as sweetener or to apply on whole wheat bread as spread) and other baked products.
Note: pitting( to remove the seeds) may be done in the kitchen with a knife, by simply cutting each date into two and removing the hard seed inside.
Surplus dates are made into cubes, paste, spread, powder( date sugar), jam, jelly, juice, syrup etc. Libya is the leading producer of date syrup.
Dates are a healthier option when compared with refined sugars like white sugar and other artificial sugars that leave the body drained after a sugar rush of “good” feelings rather than vitalized.
A simple way to process dates in the kitchen after pitting(removal of the seed inside) is as follows :
• Wash off quickly the dirt in clean water. Ensure not to keep them too long in water lest the sugar content be lost into the water. Then put them in a clean glass or ceramic or stainless bowl.
• Soak dates in hot water then cover with a lid. This is to soften them
• Within 10 minutes or less, they should be ready for grinding to paste. This could be done either by means of an electric blender or a hand mortar and pestle.
• The paste can be refrigerated to store for longer use.
Bekesu Samuel.