Foodies who like lusciousness—not to mention fitness fans looking for a natural source of post-workout muscle recovery—may want to reach for one of the world’s oldest-cultivated fruits: Medjool dates.

Dates are one of the first cultivated foods, and so naturally sweet that they’ve earned the nicknames “nature’s candy” and “the world’s first candy.”

Sure, they’re delicious. But dates and other foods rich in potassium are linked to reduced exercise-induced muscle soreness and connective tissue damage, and enhanced athletic performance going forward. Nutritionists are touting the health and muscle-recovery capabilities of dates as a natural replacement for sports drinks and energy bars that are loaded with processed sugar.

According to Elizabeth Somer, registered dietitian and author of Eat Your Way to Happiness and Eat Your Way to Sexy, dates are one of nature’s best recovery foods.

“A serving of dates speeds recovery after exercise, replacing needed potassium and other electrolytes, and helping to restock glycogen stores,” explains Somer. “In addition, the potassium and manganese help balance blood-sodium levels that support muscle contraction, reduce fatigue, and stimulate recovery.”

Who knew? We’ve been eating them plain and with cheese simply because we love them. But now, we’ll look at them as a guilt-free sweet snack! For those watching their sugar intake, Medjools rate low to low/medium on the Glycemic Index (GI).

> February 4th is Medjool Date Day.

> December 22nd is National Date Nut Bread Day.

Below:

> The history of dates.

> How to buy dates.

> How to enjoy dates, no cooking required.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The year’s 80 fruit holidays.

> The year’s 90 snack holidays.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF DATES

Among the sweetest fruits in the world, with a concentration of natural sugar that has earned them the sobriquet “nature’s candy,” dates are one of the earliest crops to be cultivated, in the Fertile Crescent between Egypt and Mesopotamia as early as 4000 B.C.

Dates are the fruit of the date palm (photo below), a tree that thrives in desert conditions—including the Bard Valley of Southern California, which produces premium Medjools.

Dates are prominent in the Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, with date palms thought to be the original “apple tree” in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve.

In Judaism, dates are considered one of the seven holy fruits, or seven species, and remain an important ingredient in Israeli cuisine.

Silan, a syrup extract taken from dates, is thought to be the sweet component of the promised “land of milk and honey.” In Islam, the end of Ramadan may be celebrated by indulging in ma’amoul (buttery cookies with date stuffing).

They continue to be an important crop for Iraq, Iran, the Arabian peninsula, and North Africa west to Morocco.
 
 
Dates In The New World

Since the early 20th century, dates also have been cultivated in southern California, Arizona, and Florida [source].

Several varieties are easy to find in the U.S., but the best are Medjools, larger, plumper, moister, and more tender, with caramel notes. They are considered the best-tasting, most luscious dates in the world, and have long been called the “Fruit of the Kings.”

You may also come across Deglet Noor, Halawy, and Khadrawy, all chewier varieties. We like them all but prefer the larger, softer Medjool.

In addition to sweet recipes—cakes, compotes, cookies, fruit breads, ice cream, puddings, smoothies, etc.—dates add a sweet accent to braises and roasts and can be substituted for prunes. (Unless otherwise specified, date varieties are interchangeable in recipes.)

One serving of Medjool dates (two whole dates) provides 8% of the daily recommended value (DRV) for potassium, 12% for dietary fiber, and 4% for magnesium, as well as important vitamins and minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, niacin, potassium, and vitamin B6.

[1] A great anytime snack (photos © Bard Valley Medjool Date Growers Association).

[2] Stuff dates with your favorite soft cheese, a nut, and a garnish of thyme leaf. Drizzle with honey for a dessert plate (photo © Boba Jaglicic | Unsplash).

[3] Kale salad with date vinaigrette: Mix pureed dates into vinaigrette, to taste (photo © Art De Fete)

[4] Soften a pint of ice cream and mix in chopped dates and other ingredients from nuts to chocolate chips. Here’s the original from-scratch recipe by David Lebovitz (photo © Spice Islands).

We’re content to eat them straight from the bag or box. But with just a bit more effort, you can have:

 
 
HOW TO BUY DATES

Harvesting dates from the palm tree is a labor-intensive process.

Wind pollinates date palms naturally, but to ensure an adequate yield, the growers must pollinate each palm by hand.

A worker may climb the same full-grown tree multiple times a day to trim sharp thorns, monitor air circulation, and ensure proper sunlight exposure so the dates can reach optimal size.

The ripening dates are then covered with burlap bags or nylon netting for protection from birds and insects.

Since dates don’t ripen simultaneously, this process is done repeatedly, picking fruits one by one until the harvest is exhausted. Think of all this the next time you bite into a delectable date!

Dates are harvested according to stages of ripeness. Once fully ripened, they need to be picked: The longer they stay on the tree, the drier they become.

Delicate, just-ripe dates are sold fresh at some farmers markets and Middle Eastern grocers, but they’re most commonly sold partially dried, often with the pit removed.

Choose dates that are plump and glossy. They can look wrinkled, but shouldn’t feel hard. A thin coating of sugar on the outside is okay, provided it’s not crystallized. If the dates smell sour, pass them by.

Like dried fruits, dates have a long shelf life and will keep at room temperature for about two months if sealed in plastic.
 
Thanks to the Bard Valley Medjool Date Growers Association (BVMDGA), a consortium of family growers in the southwest, is responsible for more than 60% of the Medjool dates grown in the U.S. For more information, visit NaturalDelights.com.
 
 

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Anchovies, feta, garlic, goat cheese, pecans, plus fresh herbs: Have fun creating your own stuffed olive creations. The spring-loaded olive stuffer lets you fill large pitted olives with anything.

Simply load the stainless steel device with the stuffing(s) of your choice, place the plunger into the pitted olive, and release.

Buy it at Williams-Sonona.com for $14.65.

If you don’t have an olive pitter, you should pick one up, too.

Avoid puffy white bread, made with
potassium bromate. And read this book!
Photo courtesy Beacon Press.

The website Healthcare Management Degree sent us the 411 on food fillers, and we’re happy to pass it on. You can also view it in infographic form.

Their article, called “Food Isn’t Food Anymore: The Frightening World of Fillers,” explains the types of fillers found in prepared foods at grocery stores and restaurants. Fillers are also called additives. The goal of the fillers is to add a cheaper ingredient to a costlier one to help bulk up the weight of the food, thus lowering the overall cost.

Fillers are mostly found in processed meats, and can lower the cost of meats by 10%-30%. The ground beef you buy likely contains filler, they write.

While lowering the cost of food can sound like a great idea, here are the pros and cons of food fillers. This is not an exhaustive list, but highlights the most common fillers. And of course, not all brands use fillers: Read the nutrition label!

CARRAGEENAN

Carrageenan is a gel extracted from seaweed. It Is used as a thickening agent and emulsifier in dairy products such as chocolate milk, cottage cheese and ice cream. It is also injected into raw chicken and other meats to make them retain water, which makes the meat weigh more. You’re paying for water weight! (A similar trick is used to inject scallops with chemicals. Be sure that you are buying “dry” scallops, not “wet” scallops.)

ISSUE: Seaweed generally has no adverse health effects, but it can trick the consumer into paying more.

CELLULOSE

Cellulose is a natural component of many plants. Much of the cellulose used as a food additive is derived from wood pulp, which is used in the production of paper! This cellulose is used in the manufacture of cereal, shredded cheese, salad dressing and ice cream. Cellulose appears in many high-fiber snacks, and eating organic won’t help you avoid it.

Humans can’t digest cellulose, so adding it to food makes for a no-calorie, nonfat filler. Some may see that as a benefit.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Ingredients like microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), cellulose gel, cellulose gum or carboxymethyl cellulose.

Olestra is a fat substitute synthesized by Procter and Gamble in 1968; its chemical name is sucrose polyester. The human body can’t digest its large molecules, so Olestra contributes no calories. It now used in Fat Free Pringles and Frito-Lay Light chips.

It can have a laxative effect. Products containing Olestra were originally required to warn customers of the risk of “loose stools.” Within 4 years of introduction, 15,000 people had called a hotline set up specifically to take adverse-reaction complaints; however, in 2003, the FDA removed the warning label requirement following lobbying by P&G.

ISSUE: In addition to digestive issues, Olestra appears to interfere with the body’s absorption of critical nutrients such as beta-carotene and lycopene.
 
POTASSIUM BROMATE

Potassium bromate is a chemical compound that helps bread to rise quickly and puff up during baking. Bread made with potassium bromate is fluffy, soft and unnaturally white. It is found in supermarket and fast food breads.

If the bread is not baked long enough, or if too much potassium bromate is added before baking, the amount in the end product can be much higher than recommended. In 1982, Japanese researchers published the first study linking potassium bromate to thyroid and kidney cancer in mice.

ISSUE: Potassium bromate is illegal in China, the European Union, Canada, Brazil and many other countries. But it is legal in the U.S.

SOY

Soy derivatives can be found filling a variety of foods, from frozen yogurt to ground beef, and are estimated to be in almost 60% of the processed food sold in supermarkets. In ground meats, soy acts as a cheap filler, lowering both the price and overall quality of the protein,

Soy contains high levels of phytic acid, an anti-nutrient that actually eliminates important vitamins and minerals from the body.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Soy is often listed as “vegetable protein.”
 
THE FINAL WORD

1. A good rule of thumb: The more ingredients are in a product, the less natural it is likely to be.

2. Educate yourself on what you’re eating. Read those nutrition labels!

The recipe was developed by Jennifer Fisher for Litehouse Foods. You can see the whole photo spread here.

These appetizers are simple to make from just four ingredients that you can easily keep on hand. Says Jennifer, “An insanely delicious bacon aroma wafts through the house to alert everyone that good things are about to happen!”

Prep and cooking time is 35 minutes.

RECIPE: FIGGY BLUE CHEESE BACON BITES

Ingredients For 12 Servings

1. PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil.

2. CUT bacon in half crosswise so that the 6 strips become 12 shorter strips.

3. CUT blue cheese into 12 approximate ½ teaspoon chunks.

4. SLICE dried figs in half lengthwise.

5. ASSEMBLE: Top one fig cookie with blue cheese. Top blue cheese with fig, cut side down. Wrap with bacon, using a toothpick to secure.

6. PLACE on the prepared baking sheet. If you have a rack or crisper sheet, set this on top of baking sheet for more even cooking. Place Figgy Blue Cheese Bacon Bites on the sheet and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until bacon is crisped and cheese is bubbling.

Today’s tip comes from Flavor & The Menu, a magazine and website for chefs of fine dining restaurants. Just about any cook should be looking for ways to add more flavor to food.

They “employ every trick in the flavor toolbox to get explosive taste and texture,” according to author Pam Smith, co-chair of The Culinary Institute of America’s Healthy Menus R&D Collaborative. “Creating flavor is no magic trick,” she says, “but certain ingredients and techniques can magically make reduced-calorie dishes satisfying—even indulgent.”

The advice:

 
What are you cooking this weekend? Employ as many of these tricks as you can and see how they improve your recipes.

 
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*As opposed to savory herbs, sweet herbs are typically used to flavor beverages and desserts. Examples include apple mint, lavender, peppermint, pineapple mint, pineapple sage, and rose geranium. Savory herbs used in sweet applications include anise, basil, licorice and rosemary. Stevia is a sweet herb that is largely a sugar substitute, adding sweetness without additional flavor.
 
 

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