Medjool dates, when ripe, often have a softer texture than other varieties of dates. When it comes to sweetness, dried Medjool dates (Phoenix dactylifera) are usually classified as very sweet. They are three times larger than other varieties.
Culinary uses:
Wikipedia: Dry or soft dates are eaten out-of-hand, or may be pitted and stuffed with fillings such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, candied orange and lemon peel, tahini, marzipan or cream cheese. Pitted dates are also referred to as stoned dates. Partially dried pitted dates may be glazed with glucose syrup for use as a snack food. Dates can also be chopped and used in a range of sweet and savory dishes, from tajines (tagines) in Morocco to puddings, ka'ak (types of Arab cookies) and other dessert items. Date nut bread, a type of cake, is very popular in the United States, especially around holidays. Dates are also processed into cubes, paste called "'ajwa", spread, date syrup or "honey" called "dibs" or "rub" in Libya, powder (date sugar), vinegar or alcohol. Vinegar made from dates is a traditional product of the Middle East. Recent innovations include chocolate-covered dates and products such as sparkling date juice, used in some Islamic countries as a non-alcoholic version of champagne, for special occasions and religious times such as Ramadan.
Harvest and storage:
The harvest time for the large Medjool dates is limited to the period between August and October. Fresh dates are sold frozen and can be stored in the refrigerator a little longer than a week.
Dried dates, however, can be stored for several months so that they are available year-round — although with some loss of quality, especially if they were not properly stored.
Dried dates begin to crystalize after about a year and they become sweeter and have a “brittle-soft” texture.
Raw food:
Most all dates sold outside of the production regions are dried and therefore sold as dried fruit. They usually meet the criteria for being raw.
Nutritional value:
As shown in the third group of tables below, dates are rich in copper and potassium and show average amounts of manganese and magnesium. They also contain calcium, but in below-average amounts.
In terms of vitamins, dates contain primarily pyridoxine (vitamin B6) as well as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5); some varieties also contain folic acid. Additional health benefits are relative as dates contain very few other vitamins, for example, vitamins A and C. Advertising makes it seem as if it were a very different story ...
However, dates are very rich in fiber, and they contain practically no fat (fatty acids) at all. Dates are not a good source of essential amino acids. The same is true for Medjool dates.
General information:
Phoenix dactylifera, commonly known as date or date palm, is a flowering plant species in the palm family, Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around Iraq. The species is widely cultivated and is naturalized in many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.
Date trees typically reach about 21–23 metres (69–75 ft) in height, growing singly or forming a clump with several stems from a single root system. The leaves are 4–6 metres (13–20 ft) long, with spines on the petiole, and pinnate, with about 150 leaflets. The leaflets are 30 cm (12 in) long and 2 cm (0.79 in) wide. The full span of the crown ranges from 6–10 m (20–33 ft).
Other uses:
In Pakistan, a viscous, thick syrup made from the ripe fruits is used as a coating for leather bags and pipes to prevent leaking. Where craft traditions still thrive, such as in Oman, the palm tree is the most versatile of all indigenous plants, and virtually every part of the tree is utilized to make functional items ranging from rope and baskets to beehives, fishing boats, and traditional dwellings.
Seeds:
Date seeds are soaked and ground up for animal feed. Their oil is suitable for use in soap and cosmetics. Date palm seeds contain 0.56–5.4% lauric acid. They can also be processed chemically as a source of oxalic acid. The seeds are also burned to make charcoal for silversmiths, and can be strung in necklaces. Date seeds are also ground and used in the manner of coffee beans, or as an additive to coffee. Experimental studies have shown that feeding mice with the aqueous extract of date pits exhibit anti-genotoxic and reduce DNA damage induced by N-Nitroso-N-methylurea.
Wikipedia tells us that Medjool dates are also called Majdool (Arabic: مجدول) and Medjool are a succulent cultivated variety of date (Phoenix dactylifera) from Morocco, but is also grown in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, and Palestinian Territories. Medjool dates are described as large soft fruit, with orange-yellowish flesh, and a mildly rich and pleasing flavor by Elhoumaizi, Mohammed Aziz; et al. (2006). Confirmation of 'Medjool' Date as a Landrace Variety through Genetic Analysis of 'Medjool' Accessions in Morocco.
Nutrient tables
The complete nutritional information, coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in the following nutrient tables.
Nutritional Information
|
per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
|
---|---|---|---|
Energy | 277 kcal 1'159 kJ | 13.8% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2000kcal | |
Fat/Lipids | 0.15 g | 0.2% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 70g | |
Saturated Fats | n/a | ||
Carbohydrates (inc.dietary fiber) | 75 g | 27.8% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 270g | |
Sugars | 66 g | 73.9% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 90g | |
Fiber | 6.7 g | 26.8% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 25g | |
Protein/Albumin | 1.8 g | 3.6% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 50g | |
Cooking Salt (Na:1.0 mg) | 2.5 mg | 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2.4g |
Essential micronutrients with the highest proportions | per 100g | 2000 kcal | |
---|---|---|---|
Min | Copper, Cu | 0.36 mg | 36.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Elem | Potassium, K | 696 mg | 35.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Vit | Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.25 mg | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Min | Manganese, Mn | 0.30 mg | 15.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Elem | Magnesium, Mg | 54 mg | 14.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Vit | Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 0.80 mg | 13.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 6.0 mg |
Vit | Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 1.6 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Elem | Phosphorus, P | 62 mg | 9.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Elem | Calcium, Ca | 64 mg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Vit | Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 15 µg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Detailed micronutrients and daily requirement coverage per 100g
Explanations of nutrient tables in general
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Essential amino acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.04 g | 5.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.04 g | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Valine (Val, V) | 0.07 g | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.01 g | 3.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Leucine (Leu, L) | 0.08 g | 3.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Lysine (Lys, K) | 0.05 g | 3.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.9 g |
Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 0.05 g | 3.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Methionine (Met, M) | 0.02 g | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Vitamins | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.25 mg | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 0.80 mg | 13.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 6.0 mg |
Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 1.6 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 15 µg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 0.05 mg | 5.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.06 mg | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Vitamin K | 2.7 µg | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 75 µg |
Vitamin A, as RAE | 7.0 µg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 0 mg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Vitamin D | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 5.0 µg |
Essential macroelements (macronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Potassium, K | 696 mg | 35.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Magnesium, Mg | 54 mg | 14.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Phosphorus, P | 62 mg | 9.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Calcium, Ca | 64 mg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Sodium, Na | 1.0 mg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Essential trace elements (micronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Copper, Cu | 0.36 mg | 36.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Manganese, Mn | 0.30 mg | 15.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Iron, Fe | 0.90 mg | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Zinc, Zn | 0.44 mg | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
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