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Dates are the fruit of the date palm. This sweet delicacy from the East is not only tasty, but also very healthy, which has gained popularity in different parts of the country. Therefore, date palms now grow not only in tropical forests, but almost all over the world.

There are several types of dates - they all vary in color and size. The most popular are dark red fruits with an oblong shape. These are the ones we see on store shelves in dried form.

Dried dates: benefits and harm to the body

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Before you start eating dried fruits for lunch, breakfast and dinner, it is worth understanding the benefits of dried dates and what contraindications there are for their consumption.

Beneficial features

Strengthening the immune system

During winter, immunity often drops and people take complex vitamins and minerals to support it. By consuming only 4-5 dried fruits, you can get such a loading dose that there will be no need to take medications.

Normalization of the gastrointestinal tract

The fruits contain quite a lot of pectins (fiber), which stimulate intestinal motility, and at the same time cleanse it of waste and toxins accumulated there. Therefore, eating them is often recommended for constipation and other similar disorders.

The cardiovascular system

Due to their high magnesium and potassium content, dates help improve the condition of blood vessels and smooth muscles. It is believed that these dried fruits are suitable for the prevention of varicose veins, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and even for equalizing heart rate.

Bones, teeth, hair and nails

Dates contain a colossal amount of calcium; just 100 grams of fruit covers almost seven percent of the daily requirement. A significant amount of potassium, magnesium and phosphorus helps in this. All this allows us to talk about general benefits for all types of bone tissue in the body.

Weight loss

Despite the high calorie content, dried fruits often replace dietary supplements when losing excess weight. They greatly boost digestion and therefore metabolism, which helps flush out toxins and help you lose weight faster with minimal stress.

Cancer prevention

A high content of antioxidants will not only minimize the risk of developing cancer, but also prevent premature aging.

Contraindications

• High levels of obesity.
• Diabetes.
• Gastritis, stomach ulcers or other serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Enteritis and colitis.
• Individual intolerance (allergy).
• Liver pathologies.

How to choose dates

The main condition for long-term storage is the correct choice of dates. Ideal fruits should be ripe and properly dried. Unfortunately, you cannot always rely on the integrity of the manufacturer, so below is a list of what you should pay attention to when purchasing such fruit:

1. The color should be uniform, red or dark brown, without spots. If the date shimmers in all shades of brown, it means that the fruit was harvested ahead of schedule.
2. A ripe fresh date should not have cracks or damage on the surface, the consistency should be elastic, without dents.
3. The matte surface indicates that the date has not been processed in any way. Some manufacturers (or sellers) treat the product with vegetable fat or syrup, believing that the additional shine will lure the buyer.
4. A sticky surface also indicates additional surface treatment. Or this may be the reason that the date began to become sugary, which means it lay on the shelf for a long time.
5. All dates, no matter what they are - fresh, dried, pressed, must have an elastic consistency. If there are hard or too soft fruits on the counter, there has been a violation of the drying technology or the process of rotting has begun.
6. You should not take pitted dates. The more physical changes a product undergoes, including pit removal, the shorter its shelf life.
7. Dates have the right smell - tart, sweet, without notes of fermentation or rot.
8. A cracked surface may indicate irregularities in the drying and drying processes. Failure to follow production processes affects both shelf life and taste.

Video:

how to choose dried fruits and nuts

Dates - what are they?

The fruit is an oblong fleshy drupe berry. The color depends on the variety and can be red-brown, orange and yellow. The length of the fresh berry is up to 8 cm in length and 4 cm in diameter. Inside there is one narrow long bone with a longitudinal hollow.

Popular varieties of dates: Medjool (trade name - Royal, they are the largest), Mashrouk, Mabroom, Sukkari, Barni, Mazafati, Rabbi, Hilva, Zahedi, Deglet nur and others. Their fruits differ in appearance (in size and color), pulp structure, and skin density. The chemical composition is approximately the same. Only gourmets can distinguish caramel, honey and other notes in the taste of dates.

The best quality fruits are produced by the botanical species Palmate date (all varieties on the world market belong to it). In second place is the Indian date grown in the countries of South Asia (also known as forest, silver, sugar). Sweet palm sap is extracted from its trunk, from which sugar and wine are produced.

Fresh dates are rarely consumed even in the countries where they grow - they lack flavor and aroma.

Dried dates have gained recognition. Those that have withered right on the palm tree are especially prized.

Based on residual moisture content, they are divided into three groups:

• more than 25% water in the pulp (high humidity);
• 18-25% (average);
• up to 18% (low humidity).

The seeds are also consumed - they are crushed and a drink similar to coffee is prepared from them.

Harvesting and industrial drying

Each date palm produces between 100 and 250 kg. harvest for the year. Having collected the fruits, they are scattered on the ground, where they dry naturally under the rays of the scorching sun. To keep them longer, before storing them in a container, you should bury them in hot sand, leaving the dates to dry for several days.

After the drying process, the dates are washed. The seeds are removed from each fruit by hand. Dates are sorted, processed and put into packages.

Not everyone is familiar with how to dry sweet products using an unnatural method. An oven is used for this. Dried fruits are treated with a sulfur composition, this will repel insects. To make the dates sweeter, you will need to preserve them using glucose syrup. Dried fruits prepared using this method have an unnatural shine. Natural dates that do not have additives have a matte skin and are soft to the touch.

Naturally dried fruits have a sticky surface on which germs and bacteria can easily remain. Therefore, it is impossible for dried fruit to remain in an uncovered container for a long time or to be scattered in the open air. Before eating dates, they are washed in boiled water. Dried fruits treated with chemicals must be soaked in hot water, changing it more than once, until the oily stains on the surface of the liquid completely disappear.

How dates grow

A real date is completely indifferent to the composition of the soil and the watering regime. In its natural environment it grows on bare sand, dense clay, and stones. Even saline soils are not a barrier for it. Where the crop gets its water from can be understood by its deep-rooted taproots. She is not afraid of strong winds and drying heat.

For your information! The date palm can withstand long-term frosts down to −14 ºС.

Where dates grow in nature: in which countries

Where dates grow in the natural environment, which countries are the main producers and suppliers of fruits, depends on climatic conditions. There are quite a lot of countries that grow dates. This:

• Iraq;
• Bahrain;
• Algeria;
• Iran;
• United Arab Emirates;
• Tunisia;
• Syria;
• USA;
• Egypt;
• Mexico;
• Australia;
• Saudi Arabia.

Note! In nature, the habitat of the date palm is the territories of Africa and the Middle East. North American Indians and North Africans still dispute the primacy of the first cultivation of the crop.

Where do dates grow in Russia?

Russia does not meet the conditions for successful fruiting of a real date. Meanwhile, it can be found in Russia. These are the southern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains. Tourists can observe flowering and fruiting. But the fruits of Russian date palms are very far from ideal.

Growing date palms in open ground in the countries of the former USSR

The achievements of the USSR in agriculture also affected palmate dates. Breeders have achieved tangible success in cultivating them in the south of Turkmenistan. The so-called Uzbek (Tajik, Kazakh) dates are nothing more than a myth. This is an import. The Canary date has more or less acclimatized in the southern republics, but it is more for beauty.

How to store fresh dates

Fresh dates can be stored for a long time if you follow some rules:

1. Cold storage.
   An elementary rule that everyone knows about. Like all fruits, dates need a cool place to prevent early onset of the rotting stage. The best place in the refrigerator for storage is the shelf under the freezer, where it is coldest and the temperature will not rise above 2°C.
2. Selecting suitable containers.
   It is best to choose a container made of plastic or wood or a glass jar. You should not give preference to a plastic or cellophane bag - fruits spoil faster in them due to the lack of air. A paper bag can also be a suitable container. It is breathable and will not allow the contents to “suffocate”.
3. Wash only before use.
   If you wash dates before storing, the oily layer that could preserve the freshness of the fruit will be washed off. You should wash them immediately before using them and preferably only the amount that you plan to eat.

By observing these simple conditions, you can keep dates fresh for up to 2 months. But if an unpleasant smell appears, then it is better not to risk it and throw away the fruits.

Drying dates

The environment in which dates are grown allows them to dry naturally. In the north there are significantly fewer sunny days, so it is better to trust a proven remedy - a dehydrator. During drying, the device maintains the same temperature, does not allow moisture to pass through and preserves all the beneficial properties of the fruit.

Preparation

1. Wash the dates and dry on a waffle towel.
2. Remove the seeds from the fruit.
3. Cut the pulp into medium cubes or thin slices.

Drying process

Drying dates can take anywhere from 6 to 26 hours, depending on the type of fruit and the thickness of the pieces. The process consists of several simple steps:

1. Load the date slices into special trays.
2. Set the temperature to 38-40 degrees.
3. Select exposure time. It’s better to choose the minimum amount so that you can dry the fruit later.
4. Finished products should be placed in a convenient container for storage or use.

ADVICE! If you divide the raw materials into several portions, you can avoid overloading the dehydrator and speed up the process of preparing dates.

Storage

Dried dates are a product that contains a large amount of healthy sugars and does not have a long shelf life. Compliance with storage rules can extend the shelf life of dried fruit from 1 to 5 years. The strictest taboos:

• washing before storing;
• sunny and hot places;
• lack of packaging.

As for the features of a particular storage method, it is worth considering each case separately.

1. On the kitchen shelf. When choosing a shelf in the kitchen to store dried dates, make sure that it is not exposed to sunlight. The dried fruits themselves will need to be wrapped in paper or placed in an airtight container. In hot and warm conditions, products will quickly deteriorate, become hard and tasteless. To avoid this, it is advisable to use dates within 6 months.
2. In a refrigerator. Here dried fruits can be stored for up to 1 year. A food container, glass container with a lid or food paper is suitable as a container.
3. In the freezer. Frozen dried dates can remain of good quality for about 5 years. To avoid spoiling the dishes, it is recommended to use special containers for freezing.

How dates are grown and harvested in Israel

Today we will talk about the full cycle of work on a date plantation. Why date? The plant is little known to the Russian-speaking public, but extremely interesting and deserving of special attention. I will try, to the best of my modest abilities, to describe the annual cycle of tree care work as well as interesting data about this wonderful palm tree.

Let's start with what's happening these days on the palm plantation. Everything that will be presented here applies only to the southern Arava and the varieties grown here. And even then, in every household, things are done differently.

These days the cycle of work on removing thorns ends. On the cuttings of a palm branch reaching 3 meters (or more) in length, the leaves close to the trunk are underdeveloped and look like sharp and long thorns. The spikes will interfere with further work and are therefore removed at the beginning of the season. The photo shows the sepals of the future inflorescence. Soon it will be necessary to work on it and the thorns, if not removed, will get in the way.

These spikes are hard and extremely sharp! There are rumors about poison allegedly found on the thorns. The wounds are indeed painful, but this can be caused by infection from dirt on the thorns or from a broken end remaining deep in the wound.

The work is done at the crown level and involves removing thorns using a heavy knife. The work is simple, but requires a certain skill and a lot of patience - there are many hundreds of trees. Three people work on a tractor, in our case there is one student, and in an 8-hour working day they manage to process about 40 trees. After finishing the work, we move to the next palm tree. Pay attention to the tractor - the car deserves a separate story.

In our case, work on a date plantation of the Dekel nur variety (دڤلة النور – deglet nur in Arabic). It can be translated as a date of light, although NUR in Arabic is not just light, but a flame, a strong fire. The “correct” fruit of this breed shines through the light and even the seed inside is visible. Many of those who grow dates prefer dekel nur to all other varieties. It tastes not very sweet, with a special aroma and taste. But the market today is looking for the Majul variety (Madjoul -مجدول), a large and fleshy fruit.

After removing the thorns, you can begin collecting inflorescences for pollen. But first, a few words about date palm propagation.

The palm tree is a dioecious and heterosexual plant, that is, male and female flowers are on different trees (houses). From an evolutionary point of view, this is the best way to avoid self-pollination and thus achieve higher quality offspring, avoiding intra-family connections. There is an exchange of genes and the integrity of the species is preserved. The date flowers have vestiges showing that they were once bisexual.

When growing dates, success will be achieved when a person helps transfer pollen from male flowers to female ones. Only then can full-fledged fruits develop in sufficient quantities. In nature, pollen is carried by the wind. Pollen leaves the plant when it contains about 50% water and loses moisture during the flight. Once on the wet pistil of a female flower, the fruit germinates and sets.

The date is not very suitable for wind pollination - the pollen is not very light and the pistil is small. Thus, the transfer of pollen by the wind and its entry onto the pistil is difficult. But from a botanical point of view, the date plant is a successful plant, it grows in wide areas and reproduces successfully, including by shoots.

There is evidence that 3000 years ago, man understood the need for pollination and did this by bringing the inflorescences of male flowers to female ones. But it was only in the 20th century that we learned to collect and store pollen. Date pollen is a product that is used a lot, it has a price and demand. Methods have been developed to test the quality of pollen so that the buyer knows what he is buying and what result to expect. Thus, it is possible to carry out pollination work throughout the whole working day, without depending on the time of flowering and the readiness of pollen and the readiness of female flowers for pollination.

Date pollen can cause allergies. You can't get used to it. In this case, it is recommended to move away from the plantation during flowering. Over the years, the percentage of the population suffering from allergies has been increasing.

The amount of pollen from a tree grows with its age and reaches a maximum at 20-30 years of age and can reach a kilogram or more. 1 liter of pollen weighs 600 grams, there are a billion (approximately) pollen balls per gram, one inflorescence produces 30-60 billion, and a flower produces 1.5 million. When pollinating from the air, 70 billion are used per dunam and per 1 sq. mm. 70 grains fall. After the boring statistics, let's see how the inflorescences are collected.

The inflorescence is tied so that the pollen does not fly away. Each separately. The inflorescences do not appear at the same time, so you need to approach each tree 2-3 times. The opened inflorescences are carefully removed so that the pollen does not scatter, and placed in a bucket.

Please note that the thorns on the branch would block access to the inflorescence. This is what a male date palm inflorescence looks like up close.

After removing the thorns and collecting pollen from the male trees, it is time for pollination.

Before pollination, it is necessary to collect the inflorescences and transfer them indoors, preferably 2-3 hours before. Pollen taken from a tree has a “viability” of about 80-90%, and a humidity of about 50-60%. As long as there is humidity, the pollen can quickly deteriorate; it is necessary to quickly dry it and thus preserve the ability of fertilization. In nature, pollen immediately begins its journey in search of female inflorescences, and therefore has almost no time to deteriorate.

Next, hang it up to dry indoors.

Inflorescences with already opened flowers are placed in buckets so as not to lose pollen

The room should be dry and warm to quickly dehydrate pollen but not spoil it by overheating. If the flowers do not open during this time, the pollen in them has obviously deteriorated. This is usually caused by the genetics of the plant. Palm trees that do not meet this condition are removed.

Pollen production. A mechanical pollen separation machine performs two functions: releasing pollen from opened flowers and sifting it. In hot, dry climates, the pollen is ready to eat when it comes out of the device. This is what it looks like:

In the picture we see a machine similar to a home clothes dryer and working on the same principle, then there is a cyclone hood for collecting pollen and below the cone is a box for collecting pollen. After this, the pollen is poured into a bucket, the machine is freed from the used inflorescences and is ready to continue working. This is what pollen looks like when it comes out of the car. It’s not visible in the picture, but there are remnants of inflorescences in it that will still need to be removed.

Drying pollen. As a rule, the pollen coming out of the machine is not dry enough. The dryness of pollen is determined by touching it with your hands. Dry pollen falls through your fingers very quickly, almost like pouring water. Wet, rolls into lumps, leaves a feeling of coolness on the finger. Of course, sometimes we need to send pollen to a laboratory for testing, to make sure that everything is in order and that our senses do not deceive us.

To dry, pollen is scattered in a thin layer on paper that absorbs moisture and dried. The dry pollen is sifted again, as can be seen in the photo.

Pollen storage. Not all pollen collected is immediately used. You can store pollen in the freezer until next season. Of course, it will lose its qualities, but about 50% germination is considered acceptable. Dry, theoretically, can be simply stored in a closet on a shelf, but it’s better not to risk it. In northern Africa, pollen from the Majul variety has long been stored in caves. But this variety is not particularly picky regarding the quality of pollen.

This refrigerator stores pollen at minus 18 degrees. Each box contains a plastic cup with holes. There is CaCl2 in the glass. This substance is not stable and tends to attach 2 molecules of water and thus keep the pollen dry.

The last thing left is to prepare the pollen and spray. First of all, pollen is mixed with talc to increase volume and weaken the effect. A small amount of coal dust is also added to impart “fluidity” to the finished mixture. In a bucket, this mixture behaves like a liquid. This is what the mixture preparation machine looks like.

The volume needs to be increased, because each tree needs about 6 grams of pollen and the larger the volume, the easier it is to manage the process. A lower concentration of pollen fertilizes fewer flowers and produces fewer but larger fruits. So, we kill two flies with one blow.

Pollination in our case is mechanical; the fan is capable of raising pollen up to 20 meters in height, directing its flow to the crown of the palm tree.

This photo shows inflorescences that have already opened and those that are still closed. So, you have to pollinate in several passes. By the way, it used to be customary to plant male trees in a line, facing the wind. Wind in nature performs the function of pollination. The ratio is approximately 1 to 20. The photo shows a line of such trees, in our case on the north side, because Winds in Arava blow mainly from the north. Today, trees of different sexes are planted separately. So, 2 years ago, 2,400 female trees were planted simultaneously on a separate plantation, without a single male tree.

Man has been growing dates for about 6,000 years. The peculiarity of the date palm fruit is its high percentage of sugars; one tree can contain about 100 kg of sugar (in fruits). Obviously, according to this indicator, the date palm is in first place in the plant world. Dates are not only a supplier of energy, but also carbohydrates. In fact, in ancient times, people living in the desert were completely dependent on this fruit.

The peculiarity of the date is the long ripening period, up to 200 days, and the fact that after ripening the fruit remains on the tree and dries on it, thus achieving better preservation. Another feature is that the fruit grows at its base, as if pushing the finished cells upward and growing new ones from the bottom up.

The date palm fruit, regardless of variety, will never reach its potential unless the number of ovaries is reduced, usually during pollination. The maximum fruit size will be obtained if only a tenth of the flowers or ovaries are left, and this is taking into account 50% success in pollination. So, all the resources supplied by the palm tree to the fruits will go to fewer fruits, but in a larger size. Naturally, this rule works up to a certain limit, and the fruit cannot increase indefinitely. The bottleneck, in the truest sense of the word, is the branches and petioles.

To do this work you need to climb up again, to the crown of the tree

The more flowers in the inflorescence, the larger the cross-section of the stem and thus, the more resources the tree can supply to the fruit. Therefore, thinning depends on the size of the inflorescence. On a larger inflorescence, you can leave more ovaries.

The date fruit grows at night, when the tree does not evaporate water and there is sufficient turgor pressure. The amount of water and minerals a tree receives during ripening is therefore critical to successful fruit development.

Thinning can occur in several ways - reducing the percentage of flower fertilization, reducing the number of petioles with flowers, or thinning flowers on the petiole. It is customary to work in two ways - reducing the number of petioles or\ and reducing the percentage of pollen germinating. The latter is adopted mainly for the Majul variety and is the cheapest, although not accurate, way to reduce the number of fruits. In practice, these two methods are combined.

As a rule, in the case of mechanical thinning, part of the petioles is removed and the remaining ones are shortened in length.

Eating weakened pollen is the cheapest way to achieve a reduction in the number of fruits, but it is also the most inaccurate and poorly predictable. There have been attempts to expose pollen to radiation, thereby weakening its ability to germinate, and to spray it from an airplane. Theoretically, no other thinning work was supposed to be done - the required number of ovaries should have remained on the inflorescences. The problem with this method is the relationship between the radiation dose and the percentage of usable pollen. In practice, it is impossible to obtain consistent results and, in turn, to calculate pollination parameters. And using an airplane is not cheap, especially if you take into account that not all flowers open at the same time and the process can take time.

Theoretically, thinning can be carried out until the fruit reaches a size of about 1 cm. Therefore, there is relatively little time to complete the job. Thinning is the most critical and labor-intensive process during the entire period of fruit ripening. There are many studies and positive results on how to do this work, but nevertheless, at each plantation, adjustments are made and work is also based on experience.

Let's see how this actually happens

In the photo above we see the removal of the hard shell covering the inflorescence. We already know that in Hebrew this is called מתחל, Ashkenazi Jews are supposed to place emphasis on the last syllable - mathAl. Please do not be confused!

Now we cut off the inflorescence at its middle. Thus, we reduce the length of the supply “pipes” to the fruits

On the upper tier of inflorescences we leave 60 petioles and 20 fruits on each

As you can see, on each inflorescence you need to accurately count the required number of petioles.

After this, we count 20 flowers on one and trim the inflorescence along its length. Let's hope that on average everything is correct. On the lower tier we leave about 10-12 flowers and 40 petioles.

During ripening, the fruits gain more weight than nature calculated when creating the palm tree. Therefore, the petiole is tied with a rope to a neighboring branch so that the weight falls on it too. At the same time, the petiole is bent so that the bunch hangs down. The picture shows what the tree looks like after this procedure.

This position of the bunch facilitates subsequent covering with mesh bags. We will tell you why this is needed later. For now, let's see how the tying is done.

The petiole with the bunch is bent downwards, fixing it in this position, we tie it with a rope to a neighboring branch. It seems easy and simple, but in fact, this is one of the hardest jobs on the plantation. The branch is very stiff and requires a lot of strength to bend and hold it. Plus, add summer warming, after 9 am the sun is already seriously hot. You need to bend it with force, but carefully, otherwise it won’t break for long.

The next photo shows an orange thread tied around the bunch. We haven’t seen her before, when was she bred and why? When thinning the inflorescences, the petioles are tied with an elastic thread to hold them tighter and make work easier during tying - the fruits cling less to neighboring branches during bending.

This plantation uses two harvesting technologies: mechanized and manual. To do it manually, you need to bend the branches and put bags on the bunch. During mechanized harvesting, the petioles with fruits, on the contrary, are lifted to the top and, bending to the side, placed on an adjacent branch to evenly distribute the weight. During work, there are unfertilized inflorescences; for this purpose there is a pruning shear on the belt. Everything unnecessary is removed.

Another look at a correctly tied bunch.

By the way, the girl in the pictures is not an exploited refugee from Africa, but an army reserve officer. After leaving the army and before the traditional trip to the east, I decided to earn a little extra money and just help (this is not the best place to earn money).

Next, we will learn how the fruits of the Majul variety are harvested in the southern Arava for a certain initial product. I will try to explain why there are so many reservations.

Firstly, the product. We are talking about a relatively recent fashion on the market - wet majul (מג'ול לח). Instead of the usual 15-20% humidity, the fruits are supplied to the market with 30% humidity. Wet fruit is soft and it is much more difficult to obtain a quality finished product. It is much easier to work with dry fruits, but you can’t argue with the market... The variety and location also impose restrictions. Therefore, this entry only applies to farms in Yotvata and Samar. Yes, and there is a difference between them.

This is what a tree looks like in mid-August. The fruits on one bunch ripen unevenly, depending on different conditions, the difference reaches 3–4 weeks. Since we want fruits only of a certain degree of readiness, we need to approach each tree 5-6 times, collecting fruits of only the required quality. The technique used here is unique and is only used in the mentioned kibbutzim.

The “wings” installed on a lifting platform cover the crown of the palm tree 360 ​​degrees. After this, the tree is gently shaken and the ripe fruits fall between the outer funnel and the inner cone onto the conveyor belt.

Fruits falling onto a stretched tarpaulin and rubberized conveyor are almost not damaged. After this, the dates are distributed in a thin layer into the boxes. The platform lowers, the boxes with fruits are unloaded, we take empty ones instead - and forward to new labor successes.

This is what the driver's workplace looks like. The tractor is controlled from the platform.

This is what a vibrator looks like. It wraps around the tree trunk, the top bracket lowers, the belts are loosened and the vibrator works without transmitting vibration to the tractor. By the way, the platform cannot be left near the ground. Curious donkeys immediately climb up there and eat all the rubber-covered parts, maybe they lack something for their metabolism. But today they are in the fence, so you can relax.

Due to the heat, work is carried out at night, from 8 pm to 8 am. After that, only sorting and packaging work. But more on that later. In the morning we will also visit other plantation workers.

Today, weed control on plantations is carried out with the help of donkeys. Even though they are donkeys, when the dates ripen they realize that picking the dates that fall from the tree is easier and tastier and stop doing their main job. During harvesting, we have to fight weeds by spraying...

Now we'll start our shift at 8pm. It's already dark and quite cool. But it’s not easy during work; from 8 to midnight I drank about 3 liters of water. Otherwise, the body becomes dehydrated, and it won’t be long until you get an IV in the emergency room. Although, this is different for everyone.

It looks romantic, you must agree. I personally don't like night shifts, but this is the best night work I've ever done. For photography lovers, these are not the best conditions. It’s full of dust and if you value your equipment, it’s better not to take it out.

While working, dozens of bats hover around, eating insects attracted by the spotlight. For them (mice) this is a real harvest festival. At the same time, they fight moths and cicadas, pests on plantations. During the day, mice fly off to “spend the night” in rock crevices in Jordan and to the west, in the Negev Mountains.

When you enlarge the photo, you can see dust on the lens, which is a disappointment.

We put finished products here and take away empty boxes to continue work.

In conclusion, a few words about cleaning technology, its pros and cons. The plus is a minimum of people, a minimum of physical work, the work moves relatively quickly. The downside is that about 15% of the harvest is lost. Some simply fall to the ground among the donkeys, some are damaged during mechanized harvesting. Large investments in equipment, its repair and operation. Why then was this method chosen? Despite the losses, labor costs are lower and justify the value of the lost crop. Finding, training and maintaining a large group of people for a couple of months of gathering in these places is not an easy task.

How do they work on other farms? It is customary to cover the bunches with mesh bags. Ripe fruits fall into the bag, 100% efficient. But this works well in the case of dry majul; to collect the wet one, you need to remove the bag, manually select dates of the desired condition from the bunch and put the bag back on the bunch. A lot of work, a lot of attention and diligence. Of course, when it is done by the hands of the Thais or refugees from Africa, you don’t think about it.

To relieve stress after work, do magic tricks with a flashlight

After harvesting the fruits, it’s time to trim the leaves. First, let's try to understand why they do this. At the same time, let’s get to know a little about the structure of this widespread species in the country.

Leaves hanging down and sticking out on the sides of the palm tree interfere with the mechanized processing of the tree. People working on the platform must have enough space around the shaft. This is what a date plantation looks like during work. But first, let's look at the structure of the tree.

At the end of each branch there is a terminal bud (terminal bud or apical bud). At the end of the bud is the meristem, the mother tissue responsible for the growth of the tree. The date palm consists of one branch (trunk), at its end there is a bud from which leaves and flowers sprout.

The color of the bud is light cream, soft and elastic to the touch. Kidney cells are rich in sugar and amylan. In date-growing countries, the date palm bud is considered a delicacy. Naturally, no one destroys a tree for this; they use palm shoots, which are removed during the process of palm growth and care.

The kidney is designed in such a way that its lower part, which produces stem cells, builds them of the same size. Therefore, the trunk of a palm tree does not change in diameter as it grows. True, with a lack of nutrition, the trunk can narrow and then return to its previous size again. The number of power-conducting channels in the barrel does not change; their diameter decreases. Thus, it is possible to determine from a palm tree whether it has had growth problems during its life.

The kidney is very well protected from external influences. It is not affected by weather conditions, pests, and even after a fire on the plantation the bud remains intact. In most plants, if a growth bud is damaged, it will be replaced by a new one on the side. The date does not have such a privilege - damage to the bud will lead to the death of the tree. Therefore, the date palm is the champion of the plant world in terms of kidney protection. It is located approximately 70 cm from the top and is protected on the sides by thick leaf bases. During the day, the temperature of the kidney fluctuates plus or minus one degree! And this is with temperature changes of about 30 degrees in winter, the temperature inside the kidney is constant - 18 degrees.

The trunk tissues grow from top to bottom, the bud seems to move upward, leaving behind the trunk of the palm tree. Inside the bud of an adult tree there are leaf embryos that will be born only after 4 years. The stem cells remain at the bottom and the young leaves grow upward. The angle at which leaves grow in relation to other leaves is constant and is a genetic feature of each species. When the sprout makes its way up, the base of the stem remains inside the tree. The base of the stem is built from durable fabrics, laid one on top of the other in a crisscross pattern. This fabric, about 60 cm wide, covers the base of the stems. The top of the palm tree looks like a panicle, where the branches are wrapped in durable fabric and seem to be attached to its end.

As the leaf grows, the fabric dries from top to bottom, leaving behind rings of dry and frayed threads. When the fabric weakens, the branches begin to fall down under their own weight.

There are about 100 leaf embryos on the bud and about 30 emerge every year. The arrangement of branches, phyllotaxis, is the same for each species. The date palm has three spirals, three successively growing leaves complete the circle, 120 degrees. between them. By the way, the spiral can be left or right. This makes no difference in the life of the palm tree.

Now that we have become a little familiar with the structure of the date palm, it is clear that there are leaves that begin to fall down and will prevent us from carrying out work in the crown of the tree. Old leaves are removed, leaving the leaves at an angle of 45 degrees. and less. These pruning rules give us about 60-70 leaves. It is customary to leave about 75, but experiments have shown that in the south of the country, due to high solar radiation, 60 leaves are enough. During the year, about 30 more young ones are added to them.

It's done something like this. Two people work. One bends the branch, the other cuts it down.

The saw operates from the tractor's hydraulic system. The mechanism is light and powerful, but “tied” to the tubes. The petioles of the stalks are much stronger and are covered with the same mesh shell that gives stability to the tree. The saw won’t take them, another approach is needed - this time with hydraulic shears, which do the job well. They are not suitable for soft green branches. In addition, the stalks are located above the level of the branches left on the tree, and it is more convenient to reach them with scissors. It's a shame that there isn't one tool that fits everything.

After pruning, throw the leaves on the ground

After this, we collect the leaves with a mechanical rake like this towards the center

For Hebrew lovers, this mechanism is called מגוב. Time passes, the leaves dry up

It's the turn of this infernal machine. The dust is thick and sometimes visible for kilometers! Knives rotate on the longitudinal axis of this machine, which break dry leaves and turn them into straws.

Final result

After this, the “straw” is collected in large bundles, like those that can often be seen in photographs of harvested wheat fields - cylindrical or rectangular (depending on the machine).

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How to store dried or dried dates

Dried and dried dates last for a very long time. This is due to the fact that during the drying process, moisture evaporates from the fruit, which for the most part makes the environment favorable for the development of putrefactive bacteria. Despite this, it is worth improving storage conditions for better product preservation:

1. Store in a closed container.
   Closed packaging will save dates from contact with insects, which are the main carriers of bacteria and microbes.
2. Do not wash.
   Dates do not need to be washed unless you plan to eat them that same day. The natural protective layer of the fruit will extend its shelf life. We should also not forget about the manufacturer’s unique assistance - some of them treat fruits with special solutions before selling them, which slow down the spoilage process.
3. Do not store in the refrigerator.
   Dried and dried foods do not require cold storage conditions. It is better to keep them in a dry, dark place that protects them from sunlight and heat. The optimal temperature for them is no higher than 20°C. And high humidity, which is very often observed in refrigerators due to frequent temperature changes (constantly opening/closing door), can reduce shelf life.
4. Store separately from other products.
   Any product likes its own conditions, so it is better to prepare your own container or jar for each.

Under the right conditions, dried and sun-dried dates can be stored for up to 1 year.

Video:

how to wash dates before eating

Selection of dates

You can enjoy fresh palm fruits in Israel, Algeria, Egypt, etc. In our country they sell frozen, dried and dried products.

Fresh dates have thick, glossy skin with yellow, orange or red hues. The taste is juicy and sweet without being cloying. The pulp of the fruit, picked from a palm tree, is crispy, like a persimmon. The pit is difficult to remove. The unripe fruit has a gray color with a greenish tint, a waxy coating and an astringent taste.

Dried dates have a different color, uniform and deep brown. The fruits have a neat round shape. There are no cracks or wrinkles on the peel. The fruit is dry, but slightly sticky to the touch. A high-quality product does not form into lumps. The softness of the pulp is average. Juiciness is low. Dried date pits are easy to remove.

Types of dates

Some varieties of high-quality dates are hand-picked individually, but in most cases the fruit is harvested by cutting off the entire fruit-bearing cluster. In poor North African countries, date pickers climb palm trees using forked sticks or ropes, cut the bunches and carefully lower them to helpers waiting on the ground.

Date plantations in California and Saudi Arabia use a variety of mechanized tools to make date harvesting much faster and safer. They use various harvesting saddles, retractable ladders, and mobile lifting towers with a podium for pickers. All the dates in one bunch and all the bunches on a palm tree do not ripen at the same time, so you have to go back several times to harvest dates from each palm tree.

How to dry dates at home

At home, dates can be dried in two ways: in the oven or in a dark place (for example, on the kitchen table). Everything is much simpler if you have an electric dryer, but not everyone can boast of having one at home.

When dried in a dark place, the dates become soft. A denser structure can be obtained by drying them under the sun. This drying method, as you can understand, is not the fastest. But the long process time is not the worst disadvantage. Various insects, and through them bacteria, can encroach on the open fruits of the date palm. Therefore, air-dried dates must be washed well before use and not stored for a long time.

You can get dried fruits much faster in the oven. They are dried at a temperature of about 70°C (this way you don’t have to worry about bacteria - they die at this temperature). Over the course of one day, at short intervals, it is necessary to alternate turning the oven on/off. A properly dried product can last a long time on the shelf.

Application

Traditionally, date palm fruits are used in cooking, preparing drinks, desserts and sweet pastries. The abundance of valuable components in the composition of such a product ensures their popularity in folk medicine. Moreover, not only the fruits themselves are used, but also date pits.

In cooking - sweets made from bananas and dates

For children's parties or as a light fruit and chocolate dessert, you can make sweets from bananas and dates. The energy value of 100 g of finished delicacy is 117 calories. The composition is dominated by carbohydrates - 10.8 g.

Ingredients needed to make 10 candies:

• Dates - 8 pcs.
• Banana - 1 pc.
• Almonds - 30 g.
• Walnuts - 15 g.
• Cocoa powder - 1.5 tbsp. l.

Let's prepare it like this:

1. Mash the walnuts and half the amount of almonds taken with a rolling pin or grind in a blender.
2. Add banana and dates to the nut mixture. Beat until smooth.
3. Mix the reserved almond crumbs with cocoa powder.
4. Scoop the sweet thick mass with a teaspoon, form a ball and carefully roll it in the bulk mixture.

Wrap the finished candies in foil and leave in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Cocoa can be easily replaced with healthier carob

In coffee making

Coffee production is a complex and multifaceted process, the result of which is a hot, tonic drink with a high caffeine content. Coffee made from date palm seeds is its gluten-free and healthier analogue, different in taste and aroma, but retaining its invigorating properties.

The Bedouins of the Sahara Desert were the first to try the drink during the Middle Ages.

We prepare it like this:

• Fry date pits in a dry frying pan.
• Grind the workpiece into powder.
• Brew 2 teaspoons of powder with boiling water or milk.

You can drink coffee from date seeds after the sediment has settled.

In winemaking

The strength of sweet date wine is 10-12 degrees. It can be stored for up to 3 years in a cool place, not in the refrigerator. We prepare the drink from the following ingredients:

• Date palm fruits without seeds - 3 kg.
• Sugar - 0.8 kg.
• Water - 8 l.
• Raisins - 100 g.
• Citric acid - 40 g.

Cooking steps:

1. Steam the dates with boiling water and leave for 1 hour.
2. Pour the broth into a separate container. Pass the steamed fruits through a meat grinder and add the pulp to the warm broth.
3. Add 200 g of sugar, citric acid and raisins. Mix.
4. Cover the container with gauze and leave in the dark at a temperature of 18-25 degrees for fermentation.
5. Leave the wort for 8-9 days until the cake rises.
6. Strain the wort and squeeze.
7. Add 400 g of sugar to the fermentation container, slightly more than half full, and mix. We fix a rubber glove with a small slot on top.
8. We pour about 0.5 liters of wort into a separate container after 3 days. Add the rest of the sugar and pour the liquid back. The period of active fermentation takes 1-2 months, after which the glove deflates (the release of gas stops).
9. After fermentation, pour the young wine into bottles under the neck, excluding contact with air from the inside. We keep the bottle at a temperature of 14-16 degrees for at least 3 months.

Every 2-3 weeks, the wine is carefully poured into clean containers to remove sediment.

In cosmetology and skin care

The composition of dates, rich in vitamins and minerals, is also used in the production of cosmetics, as well as in the preparation of homemade care masks to increase skin elasticity, correct facial contours and provide tonic properties.

To make such a mask you will need:

• Pitted dates - 5 pieces.
• Olive oil - 1 tsp.

Prepare the composition and apply the mass as follows:

• We wash the fruits, dry them with a napkin, and grind them in a blender.
• Add olive oil to the mixture and mix well.
• Apply the composition to clean, dry facial skin for 20 minutes.

Remains of the mask should be removed with a cotton pad, and then washed with water without soap.

In folk medicine

Russian scientist Ilya Mechnikov advised including dates in the diet to prevent constipation and intestinal disorders. In addition, they treat bronchial diseases, sore throat, cough, potency disorders, etc.

Date decoction for dry cough

To remove phlegm, take a decoction of date palm fruits in milk. The same remedy is recommended for men to increase libido. It is prepared from the following components:

• Dates - 7 pcs.
• Milk - 250 ml.

Sequencing:

1. Pour cold milk over the fruits.
2. Bring the ingredients to a boil over low heat.
3. Stirring, cook for another 10 minutes.

Take the decoction one serving per day, preferably in the evening or before bed.

Attention! Preliminary consultation with a specialist is required.