Do I need to wash dried dates from the package before use?

Dates can successfully replace chocolate - they are so sweet and delicious. In addition, nutritionists say incredibly useful. But all the advantages of these fruits can be nullified by their improper use. A fact that may surprise some: wash the dates before use is mandatory, even if they are dried and look like ready-made "sweets".

Date palm

About the origin of the fruit

Dates grow only in hot climates. The main suppliers of goods - African countries, where there are whole plantations of date palms.

Fresh fruits do not represent nutritional value and are not stored for long, as they quickly deteriorate. The unique taste is manifested in dried dates after all moisture leaves them.

The technology of drying products consists in placing them in a well-ventilated chamber, where a constant temperature is maintained within 30–35 degrees. Thanks to this approach, moisture comes out of the pulp gradually, the skin dries evenly, and no cracks form on it.

However, in order to speed up the drying process and reduce costs, many manufacturers expose dates to accelerated heat treatment at high temperatures. This leads to a deterioration of not only the composition, but also the appearance of the fruit.

Before sending for export, the product is prepared for transportation. It is exposed to potentially hazardous treatments:

  • fumigation;
  • spraying with pesticides;
  • sprinkling with antiseptic powders.

Fruits are transported in bales and containers that do not protect against dust, exhaust fumes and pathogens. As a result, exotic fruits come to our country not only dirty, but also potentially hazardous to health.

Date fruit

What do we buy?

When crossing the border, in accordance with sanitary rules, the cargo is again treated with potent chemicals against biological threats. Then the goods are sent to food bases, where the first stage of pre-sale preparation is carried out.

Fruits are exposed to such types of exposure:

  • fumigation with sulfur dioxide;
  • soaking in a concentrated glucose solution;
  • immersion in sugar syrup;
  • rubbing with vegetable oil or other fat;
  • wax vapor treatment.

Wooden bowl with dates
The applied substances give the product an attractive shine, but do not improve its quality. Dirt and infection remain under the new coating. Purchased dates become sticky, which contributes to the abundant adhesion of dust, germs and spores during further transportation and sorting.

On sale, fruits come packaged in packages or by weight. Please note that even very beautiful packaging is not a guarantee of product purity. The only exceptions are goods that have an inscription on the packaging stating that the fruits have been sanitized and cleaned.

If dried dates purchased by weight are not washed before use, this can lead to poisoning and disruption of the digestive system. In addition, a sweet substance applied to the skin of the fruit disrupts the metabolism and promotes obesity.

How to wash dates?

Dates are widely used in cooking. They are eaten instead of sweets, put on jams and compotes, used as a filling for confectionery. But if heat treatment kills the infection, then raw foods pose a serious health hazard.

The difficulty with washing the fruit is that it absorbs water very quickly. With swelling, their appearance and taste change for the worse. Therefore, the fruit from the packaging can not be soaked for a long time. It is also not recommended to sprinkle them with boiling water or steam - this causes the fruit shell to crack, and the flesh is cooked, which makes it unsuitable for further use.

When cleaning dates from preservatives, the following rules should be followed:

  1. Substances applied to the fruit may be resistant to water. You can remove them only with a soap solution. For preservatives to soften and dissolve, 3-5 minutes of soaking are enough.
  2. In the process of soaking, you can rub the fruit with a sponge or a toothbrush - this will save them from hard plaque. Excessive force should be avoided so as not to damage the peel.
  3. After soaking, dates should be put in a sieve and washed under a strong stream of cold water.
  4. After washing, the fruits must be dried immediately. They are laid out on wafer towels or napkins and covered with the same material. As wet, wipes need to be changed. It is allowed to blow wet dates with cold air.
  5. Even after mechanical drainage, it is necessary to allow the fruit to ventilate for 10-12 hours.

Keep dates in a paper bag, taking them immediately before meals.

Despite the attractiveness of dates on the counter or in the package, they are not only possible to wash, but also necessary. Having spent a little time and effort, you can be sure that you are using a tasty, healthy, and most importantly - a safe product.

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  1. Olga
    05/03/2024 at 01:28 Reply

    In the UAE, in the bazaar, I saw a seller get dirty hands out of a bag and lay out dates, scratching his body from time to time ... I always realized how dirty the dates were. Previously, they seemed clean, because they shine.

    • Pavel
      05/07/2024 at 09:57

      I have been working in pharmacy for 35 years and have seen this ... ..

  2. Nina
    05/03/2024 at 05:00 Reply

    It’s better not to eat them. Than there are washed with soap ...

    • VALERY
      05/12/2024 at 16:12

      better in a dishwasher or washing machine, but in general nonsense

  3. Pavel
    05/03/2024 at 07:20 Reply

    So many manipulations, it is easier to abandon their use.

  4. Kolya
    05/03/2024 at 12:34 Reply

    Fruits are dipped in specials. a solution that quickly removes moisture from them. Then they are treated with sulfur dioxide, it is then on dried fruits and glistens ...

  5. Tatyana
    05/03/2024 at 13:14 Reply

    I will never buy dates again!

  6. Julia
    05/03/2024 at 14:31 Reply

    eating dates on an empty stomach, you remove parasites from the intestines

    • Al
      05/10/2024 at 10:23

      There are other effective ways to eliminate parasites.

  7. Tatyana
    05/03/2024 at 19:48 Reply

    I liked dates, now I will refuse to write this

  8. Nina
    05/03/2024 at 20:51 Reply

    All my life, dates in soapy water, not even knowing about such an article .......

    • ytsuken
      05/05/2024 at 18:15

      yes you can eat soap, it's your life

  9. Galina
    05/03/2024 at 21:05 Reply

    cores need to eat two dates per day. (doctors advise)

  10. Tatiana
    05/03/2024 at 21:21 Reply

    I got sick ...

  11. Olga
    05/04/2024 at 05:29 Reply

    After the above, I won’t eat them at all. To wash with soap and a Toothbrush Then throw everything away At the same time they bought and ate everything and it was normal And now, even after leaching with soap and water, the coating doesn’t come off I have to peel the most valuable We are poisoned as they can! It’s a pity there’s no video this attraction Wash dates with soap! Maybe also with household Let not fragrant soap. And household smell

    • Siberian
      05/12/2024 at 07:29

      In the “Soviet time” you simply did NOT KNOW about all this! “They bought and ate and everything was fine” - yeah, but for some reason the toxicological centers were built, and they - were not empty ... So - do not “la-la”!

  12. Svetlana
    05/04/2024 at 15:40 Reply

    And I really like dates, they are very useful, and the dirt on them is as much as on all fruits. And soap is easily washed off and not as harmful as African dirt!

  13. Date fruit
    05/04/2024 at 19:47 Reply

    And also tell about dried apricots, prunes, raisins and other dried fruits and peeled nuts.

  14. Nile
    05/05/2024 at 01:31 Reply

    Russian apples and walnuts are a storehouse of vitamins and minerals. BE HEALTHY!

  15. Pavel
    05/05/2024 at 06:01 Reply

    How many ate, there were no problems.

  16. Love
    05/05/2024 at 20:20 Reply

    I wash all dried fruits (dates, dried apricots, raisins, prunes, etc.) with warm water and soda, then rinse with cold water and vinegar, and finally in a sieve under running water. Then dry.

  17. Irina
    05/08/2024 at 10:25 Reply

    Do not soak, they will soak, then soak for several minutes. Already decide for yourself whether to wash or not to wash. I always eat like that and nothing ... I lived to 50)))) But it didn’t even occur to me to wash with soap.

  18. Arisha
    05/08/2024 at 12:11 Reply

    in boiling water is a must!

  19. Peter
    05/09/2024 at 14:32 Reply

    There are imported dishwashing detergents of the ECO category designed for washing fruits and vegetables. Dirt, plaque from apples, etc. flies in seconds but then rinse for 30 seconds with running water. Can be dried or not.

    • Siberian
      05/12/2024 at 07:17

      If it is a synthetic detergent - whatever you call it, it will not become environmentally friendly! Better - ordinary soap!

  20. Man of sense
    05/09/2024 at 15:20 Reply

    You are being stupidly manipulated! Lol
    what gullible .... Well, refuse! At the same time, give up a lot more from what.
    For example, from dried beautiful apricots, from candied fruits, dried apricots, raisins ...
    But in fact, to wash all this with just plain water! chatting a little in it, and on a sieve.
    - just in case. because the goods could be scattered on the floor, or in contact with someone else’s hands.

  21. kate
    05/10/2024 at 00:55 Reply

    I am not a racist, but everything from Africans to me is byak. eat only what can be cleaned

  22. Irina
    05/10/2024 at 20:48 Reply

    I used to read that just dates are not treated with sulfur, they never rot and mold on them anyway. Always eat with pleasure, no infections. Eat soap yourself, it is now made with aromas and probably nothing to taste

  23. Victor
    05/11/2024 at 14:48 Reply

    Never washed and not mine and ... alive!

    • Valentine
      07/25/2024 at 19:59

      All are alive for the time being, for the time being

  24. Valery
    05/11/2024 at 16:52 Reply

    Then I look at the fact that dates are almost always a discount. And so they are cheaper than all dried fruits. Maybe they should not be imported at all, since such a problem. And do not poison our people. It’s time to already choose really high-quality products from other countries and not to chase cheapness, otherwise soon there will be nobody to do it, we will all rest.

    • Tasia
      07/22/2024 at 09:28

      To do this, and import our berries. And then for sure we will rest

  25. Jesus
    05/11/2024 at 22:49 Reply

    and what taste after washing ??? nor what ..

  26. Sergey Ivanovich
    05/12/2024 at 23:06 Reply

    Do not be afraid to pour boiling water. It will soften, but then it will dry out and become the same as before. Checked many times. No soap needed.

  27. L
    05/13/2024 at 10:01 Reply

    🙈 But nothing, that after all the manipulations on the video, washing with lemon juice, drying with a napkin, the “craftswoman” put the washed dates in the same unwashed packaging?))) It’s good to be friends with logic ... ☝️

    • Agaisha
      05/13/2024 at 20:43

      If you go into the details of how bread is baked, you also have to abandon it ... so think! 😊😊😊

    • Urfia
      07/26/2024 at 01:23

      Right!

  28. Elena
    05/13/2024 at 17:32 Reply

    At every use

    I had poisoning dates. Now I know why.

    • Nika
      05/14/2024 at 09:18

      If “poisoning” (who made the diagnosis?) Is frequent, it is necessary to find out the cause, and not to nod at the first suspected product

  29. bogdan
    05/14/2024 at 08:38 Reply

    yeah

  30. Alex
    05/15/2024 at 21:12 Reply

    That is, we get dirty dates, wash them, and put the clean ones in dirty packaging? Or is the packaging from dates not dirty and not processed by chemistry ???

  31. Tatiana
    07/21/2024 at 11:02 Reply

    All fruits that come to us in Russia from neighboring countries or far abroad are processed so that they do not spoil, and how we will consume them, it does not bother anyone and never worried.It will be dates, kiwi, or tangerines or lemons or raisins ... always the buyer himself decides: To wash or not to wash, eat this fruit raw, or fry it on a fire, or soak it in a washing machine. Thanks to these fruits, we have learned their value, their usefulness and their harmfulness. But I repeat, it all depends on the person himself.

  32. It's a shame for the power
    07/21/2024 at 12:43 Reply

    utter nonsense, the author's soap

  33. a guest
    07/21/2024 at 15:30 Reply

    pour boiling water and dates and nuts

  34. Peter
    07/21/2024 at 17:58 Reply

    Every day on an empty stomach I eat 5 dates I fill in for torture for several minutes

  35. natalya
    07/21/2024 at 23:14 Reply

    So many stages of bullying a product! It is wiser to abandon them altogether! Previously, they lived without them and did not suffer at all. Needed where was born

  36. Vladimir
    07/22/2024 at 00:54 Reply

    He lived in Uzbekistan, ate without any washing, I live in the North and I also eat constantly, never had any health problems, nonsense.

  37. Tasia
    07/22/2024 at 09:20 Reply

    To do this, and import our berries. And then for sure we will rest

  38. Tatyana
    07/22/2024 at 13:11 Reply

    And why is it difficult to wash it? Even with soap. Personally, I always wash my vegetables and fruits with soap. And you don’t have to give up something - everything that is sold in stores is all processed with chemistry, then eat solar energy or the holy spirit, if it is easier for you to refuse than to wash. And those who do not wash and say that they are alive and healthy, because this is not the amount of chemistry that kills immediately. It will accumulate and cause any mutations. And by the way, it would not hurt to donate blood for hepatitis - I know for sure that, for example, dried apricots, which from Central Asia, so that they look beautiful and do not deteriorate, are poured with their urine, and there is a lot of hepatitis there.

    • Tatyana
      07/23/2024 at 08:23

      Well, what do you drive "urine" ...

    • Yui
      10/09/2024 at 13:03

      Without the sun you will die, without the spirit you are a robot, and therefore the robot does not need sunlight.

  39. no name
    07/22/2024 at 21:40 Reply

    "... for example, dried apricots, which from Central Asia, so that it looks beautiful and does not deteriorate, pour their urine ..." - A recipe for eternal youth has been opened!

  40. Tatyana
    07/23/2024 at 08:27 Reply

    The author went crazy .. where to take so much time .. to wash off the “dirt” with a sponge or a toothbrush in general .. what a hell! Wash as you washed and you will be happy!

  41. Vladimir
    07/23/2024 at 10:27 Reply

    Even in bleach, it would be nice for a couple of hours!

    • Yuri
      10/09/2024 at 13:59

      Right! I salt them and there you look and there is chlorine, NaCl

  42. Tatyana
    07/23/2024 at 13:12 Reply

    when I didn’t wash dates, I never had infections, but I read that if you eat only dates on an uninhabited island, you won’t get sick with anything, they have all the useful vitamins

  43. Mirina
    07/24/2024 at 07:23 Reply

    About urine lies. Urine is an alkali, but it is terribly smelly, it becomes over time, and it eats away.

  44. Valentine
    07/25/2024 at 19:43 Reply

    Definitely - WASHING !!! Adults, but lit up nonsense, even children understand that everything that goes into the mouth must be clean! Who are you there - Africans will wash?

  45. Misha
    10/06/2024 at 07:13 Reply

    Sugar syrup is processed, because then the teeth ache from them. And if you rinse, even in a basin at least piece by piece, then everything is normal.

  46. Yuri
    10/09/2024 at 13:24 Reply

    Right! I salt them and there you look and there is chlorine, NaCl

Cleaning

Wash

Stains