Medjool Date Day

Medjool Date Day is February 4th

These oblong, amber colored, sticky ovals are called Medjool dates. They are associated more with sweets and savory morsels rather than a fruit. But this odd fruit grows on trees in areas like Morocco, Turkey, Oregon, and California. It is said that dates date as far back as 5,000 - 6,000 B.C.E. Medjool Date Day is a day dedicated to enjoying all the yummy and odd ways to eat Medjool Dates.

Facts About Dates

Medjool dates are actually the fruit of the Date Palm, very similar to coconut trees. Farmers call them date groves or gardens versus fields and they have to go up and down the trees 12-15 times a year to gather all of them. They are also packaged immediately after being gathered so they keep their gooey texture. There are over 1,500 varieties of Medjool dates. They are known for their rich caramel-like taste and chewy texture versus the Deglet Noor Date which are firm fleshed fruits that have a delicate sweet taste. Medjool Dates originated in Morocco and were brought over to the U.S in 1927.

There is more than one way to eat Medjool Dates.

11 Recipes that are made with dates:

• Date Caramel Sauce
• Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates
• Date Shake
• Homemade Samoas
• Homemade Larabars
• Almond Flour Muffins
• Homemade Turtles
• Oatmeal Date Cookies
• Salted Caramel Oatmeal
• Curried Chickpea Salad
• Celery Salad

Medjool dates aren’t just delicious and decadent, but promote digestive health and prevent things like heart and kidney disease. There are also several other health benefits from eating dates.

5 Reasons You Should Eat Dates

• They are a great substitute for sugar
• They have more potassium than bananas
• They contain 12% of your daily requirement of fiber
• They are sodium free
• They are a good source of energy

When you are celebrating Medjool Date Day be sure to explore making all the different recipes and experiment with what kind of things you can make with dates to enjoy this simple but decadent fruit.