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Dates Definition
Dates are unimportant fruits that we devour as dried fruit and enter our kitchen slight by little. It is increasingly common to find dates in greengrocers and stores because it is a fruit that “is fashionable.”
One of its growing popularity is the desire to complete a sweet taste without adding sugars to confectionery products. Thus, it is a fairly common component in the entire range of sweet elaborations that we frame under the “healthy” seal.
Nutritional Composition of Dates
The fact is that it is a naturally dried fruit. For this reason, its nutritional density is high since, in the desiccation process, the amount of water in the product decreases, and its nutrients are increased. At the healthy level, its content stands out in:
Sugars
Faber
Potassium
Calcium
Iron
Provitamin A vitamin B3 and vitamin C
Recommended for Dates
Athletes: it is a helpful way to transport focused nutrients in the case of endurance athletes. In addition, its high content of potassium and sugars can come in handy for muscle recovery.
Children: its sweetness is usually liked, although the surface is not always well accepted. They are efficient in making sweets without added sugars because dates already provide a good amount and, therefore, sweetness to different recipes.
Constipation: Dates contain a not tiny expanse of fibber that will underwrite to improve intestinal transit.
Not Recommended for Dates
- People with tooth decay: The amount of honey they contain and their sticky consistency make them food that will favor the development of tooth decay. It is essential to consider this factor when brushing your teeth after eating them.
- Slimming diets: Fresh figs can be consumed but without manipulation, because it is a product that contains a high percentage of sugars when losing water.
- Diets with potassium restriction : like most fruits, the potassium content of figs is not negligible, so we must limit their consumption in diets with controlled potassium intake, as may be the case of people with renal involvement.Cases of migraine related to food. Dates contain tyramine, which exerts a vasoconstrictor effect that can cause migraine in people with a tendency to suffer from this type of headache.
Types of Dates
There are different varieties with their differences. They are usually classified as soft, semi-dry, and dry. By:
Medjool dates, soft dates, very sugary, and due to their smooth texture, juiciness and sweetness, they are perfect allies in baking. The Deglet Noor, semi-dry, is native to Tunisia and can be sweet and salty. They are probably the most common variety in the markets.
Other varieties are the Khadrawy; also lovely, the Halawy or the Barhi consumed still fresh, without drying.
Its flexibility is almost infinite, and we can find recetas with dates in both sweet and savory preparations.
We can make tapas, tarts, skewers or fill them as starters. They marry well with cheese, meats, and vegetables. In main dishes, they can be a perfect accompaniment. They can be used in salads, stews with rice, legumes, accompanying meats(chicken or turkey), and fish. In desserts, you can accompany ice cream, cakes, or pasta. Also, in the breakfasts with cereal flakes, muesli… And they can complement fruits, such as pears, and nuts very well.
How to keep Dates Longer?
Being dried fruits with high density in sugars and little water, they are little perishable and can be well preserved for months. Though, it is vital to take into account several considerations. Once acquired, we can store them in a closed glass container, calm and protected from light. In plastic packaging, it is more likely that they can suffer molds. On the contrary, if they are kept in the air or in containers that do not close, they will dry out more, in the count to having the risk of insect success them.
What did you need to know about Dates?
Season
Although dates can be tasted throughout the year, they ripen in autumn, and we can find freshly collected dates in the markets during October and November.
Benefits
They are rich in fiber, vitamins such as beta-carotene, and minerals such as potassium. Ideal for: athletes, children, and people suffering from constipation.
Conclusion
Dates are the fruit of the date palm, cultivated in numerous steamy regions of the world. Dates have become very dominant in recent years. Nearly all dates sold in Western countries are dried.
And also. You can say if the dates are dry or not based on how they look. Wrinkled skin indicates dryness, while smooth skin indicates freshness. Dates are chewy with a sweet taste. They are also high in some critical nutrients and have a variety of benefits and uses.
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