How do you keep dates to preserve their freshness and properties?
Storing dates is one of the most important things that we usually do not follow its principles entirely, and as a result, the date we buy will spoil quickly, or other problems will occur. How to keep dates fresh? You may have encountered this problem many times and still do not know how to properly store the purchased dates to preserve their freshness and properties. For this reason, the following ways and methods are easy ways to do this. Keeping dates fresh is an issue that we will address in this section and introduce you to keep dates fresh; using the best way to store dates, you can have great storage. To keep dates for 7 to 10 days, you can use a container with a door, put your dates inside it, and then consume it, but if you decide to keep the available dates for a longer time, it is recommended to use other methods.
Dates fruit can also be used for drying. Dried dates and wet dates both have many benefits. It is worth noting that these nutritious fruits are known around the world for their sweet taste. If we can keep them moist and fresh, the flavor will be better.
Therefore, still knowing how to keep dates fresh plays an essential role in its general consumption. However, if the storage period is long, it will not be suitable for storing in the environment, and it is better to keep it in the refrigerator and a closed container, which can be stored for a week or more. It is to be noted that if you freeze bulk dates, it is better to keep them durable that can be used for a long time.
How to store dates
Most Rotabs and some dates must be stored at zero degrees (refrigerator), but some Rotabs and dates do not need to be kept in the fridge, such as dried dates that can be stored for a very long time in the outdoors. Dried dates are usually refrigerated for up to a year. Fresh dates can be refrigerated for up to eight months if properly packaged and cannot be used for more than a month if stored in a home cabinet.
Rotab and Dashtestan dates (Kabkab Dates) have a high nutritional value and can be kept for a while without refrigeration. Some types of Rotabs and dates rot in cold weather or high humidity. There is no harm in eating granulated dates, but if you do not like your dates not to be granulated, don’t put them in the refrigerator in winter. It is better to wash them and then consume them.
How to store dates at home
Many keep dates out of the refrigerator after buying them, but this reduces the shelf life of the dates. Good storage can preserve the moisture, flavor and taste of dates. Use the following ways to store dates for a longer time and maintain their taste. Keeping dates for a long time at home temperature is not good because the taste of dates may change, and they may not be as fresh and sweet as before. But it is necessary to know that preserving dates for keeping them fresh is also different due to the variety of their types. The most common method for storing dates for long-term storage is in the refrigerator, but what are the other methods for preserving dried dates and semi-dry and wet? In the following, we will introduce you to these methods.
Storing fresh dates in the refrigerator
As wet dates can be a place for growing microscopic organisms, store them in the fridge. Putting wet dates in the refrigerator preserves the taste of dates and prevents them from spoiling and becoming sour. Fresh dates can be refrigerated for about eight months if properly packaged, and dried dates can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a year. Be careful not to put dates besides stinky foods like garlic because they absorb their smell quickly.
Suggested tips for keeping dates
Store dates in the zippered plastic bags
In this case, you should be careful that after packing the dates in plastic bags with zippers, it is better to pay attention to its shelf life that dates cannot be stored in plastic bags with zippers for a long time. The most important thing to remember is that you should avoid keeping extra air while putting dates in plastic bags because the air staying in the bag will cause the dates to spoil sooner.
Soft dates spoil faster due to their juice and moisture; their taste and color become sour and change. For this reason, place the more delicate, wet dates in a sealed container in the refrigerator at 3 to 8 ° C. It is better to be eaten within a week so as not to alter their properties. But there is no problem in the refrigerator for a month. If it is granulated, heat it and consume it.
Preserving dry and semi-dry dates
Dry and semi-dry dates have a high shelf life and can be stored at kitchen temperature, away from sunlight and heat for up to a year. For preventing moisture, place dates in an airtight glass container or zipped plastic. It is essential to keep dates with low-moisture like Sayer Dates in closed containers and try to keep them out of the reach of insects and in cabinets, cupboards, and fruit storage compartments. Keep in mind that dates should not be exposed to direct sunlight or gas flames, as both can damage the dates. Therefore, it is recommended that dates be purchased at the appropriate time for their use.
Preserving moisture and date juice in the refrigerator
Wet and juicy dates, unlike dry and semi-dry dates, should be refrigerated because they are moist. This moisture provides the best conditions for microscopic organisms. Therefore, it is better to keep them in the refrigerator to maintain the pleasant taste of wet and juicy dates. By preserving the taste of dates, we can prevent rot and bitterness in the short term.
The right time to consume dates
You need to know the right time to use dates and understand that the best time to eat dates is one week. Because at this time, the real taste and aroma of dates will be preserved, and you will enjoy consuming it. This consumption time is more than a week, but the most suitable time for general use is one week. However, if these dates are stored in closed containers without air penetration, this storage period outside the refrigerator is about one month.
If this storage period is increased, the original taste will be lost. The juice will accumulate at the bottom of the container, which may cause the bad appearance of dates, and causes dates to be rotted and short-term fermentation. If we store dates out of the refrigerator, their moisture will be disappeared after a while, and they become chopped. An essential factor that helps us identify the chopped dates is their tang and specific taste.
Dates are stored in the refrigerator
If you store dates in the freezer, you can store them for up to a year or more, like Rabbi Dates. If you plan to buy fresh dates, you must first use the dates you keep in the freezer and pack the dates properly in the freezer.
The correct way to store dates in the freezer
If you want to store dates for a long time, store them in the freezer, which is not easily accessible. To do this, you need to keep the dates in plastic bags to control the extra air inside the container. Dates will not tear the plastic bag by standing together until after freezing and increasing the freezer volume. Mazafati Dates are among the dates that we should store in the freezer.
Suitable place in the freezer for storing dates
Store dates at the bottom of the freezer to increase storage time and spoil later. This way, when the power goes out, the frozen items at the bottom of the freezer will be melted later and stay intact. Even if the power goes out for any reason, the lower parts of the freezer heat up later, which is effective. Therefore, this method is a suitable method when you want to store dates for a long time.
The right time to consume frozen dates
If you use frozen dates, they need to be kept at room temperature for two hours. If you suspect that dates have expired and may rot, you should make sure they have the original taste of dates. But if the taste changes, you should avoid eating it. When you do not have enough time to melt the ice, you can quickly put the dates in a bowl of hot water that will be edible after five minutes.
Storing dates for more than three years
If you are going to store dates for more than a year, you need to put them in the right package to keep them for more than five years. Like other dry dates, dates will last longer if stored in the freezer without spoilage and if properly packaged. Therefore, when packing dates to freeze, make sure that extra air does not enter during packing. Also, when consuming dates, after taking them out of the freezer, you should not eat them if they have an unpleasant taste and smell.
It goes without saying that in any method of preserving dates, dates that are dry and semi-dry, such as Piarom Dates, rot later, and in other words, their shelf life is much longer than different types. But it is necessary to pay attention to the expiration dates and choose dates that do not expire by that time. It is still required to keep the date’s container in the bottom of the freezer to stay fresh and when there is a possibility of a power outage.
