Basra Date Syrup, 450g

Product Information

Date syrup is a signature staple of the Iraqi kitchen, so much so that every jar I've ever seen of it is labelled Iraqi Date Syrup, or Basra Date Syrup. It really isn't used as a replacement for sugar or honey at all. As you've surely noticed, the taste is radically different. Three very common uses for it off the top of my head: Jams may have originated as an early effort to preserve fruit for consumption in the off-season. Originally, jam production relied on the native pectins of incorporating fruit for gel formation. Fruit was cooked with sugar, extracted acids, and pectins, and if the proper balance of the sugar level, pH, and pectin content were achieved, a satisfactory jelly was obtained (Baker et al. 2005). Date fruits, having high sugar contents, are very suitable for jam manufacture. The rutab-stage date fruits have an appropriate quantity of the pectin required for jam preparation (Suad and Jiwan 2005). The process of making Date syrup is not complicated. It can even be made at home. However, the mass production of date syrup is a bit different. Generally, to make the dates syrup, the dates are cooked in water. Since you will not know how many dates you are eating while consuming date syrup, you should consult your doctor to ensure you are not overeating it.

You can also sweeten your tea, coffee, or any other beverages with this syrup. Although we know that it is so useful and beneficial, there are common questions that many people might have about date syrup. So, we are going to answer all of them so you will become completely knowledgeable about this product and all its usages. How is date syrup produced? Rice RG. Health and safety aspects of ozone processing. In: O’Donnell C, Tiwari BK, Cullen PJ, Rice RG, editors. Ozone in food processing. New York: Wiley; 2012. pp. 265–288. [ Google Scholar] Dates syrup has all the health benefits of its fruit. It doesn’t contain any fat or cholesterol and is also a rich source of protein, which is good news for people who want to lose weight. Therefore, you can easily add dates syrup to your weight loss program. Baker RA, Berry N, Hui YH, Barrett DM. Fruit preserves and jams. In: Barrett DM, Somogyi L, Ramaswamy H, editors. Processing fruits: science and technology. 2. New York: CRC PressINC; 2005. pp. 112–125. [ Google Scholar] Chumyam A, Whangchai K, Jungklang J, Faiyue B, Saengnil K. Effects of heat treatments on antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of four cultivars of purple skin eggplants. ScienceAsia. 2013; 39(3):246. doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2013.39.246. [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar]

The process of making a date syrup is different from other natural sweeteners, such as honey or maple syrup. We know that it’s the fleet of bees who are responsible for making honey, which makes the honey production so different from date syrup, even incomparable. Ice cream with date syrup carries the standard benefits of taste and convenience with an increased appeal to lifestyle and wellbeing. You can consume date syrup as a single product, like honey. It is a useful product to add a sweet flavour to different drinks such as tea or any beverages. It is easy to find recipes with date syrup. Since it is sweet, you can mostly make cakes and different desserts with this product. Niakousari M, Erjaee Z, Javadian S. Fumigation characteristics of ozone in postharvest treatment of kabkab dates ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) against selected insect infestation. J Food Prot. 2010; 73(4):763–768. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar]

Eating sweet foods and products may increase the risk of diabetes. But, the sweet taste in date syrup comes from the natural sugar in the fruit of date, which is not harmful to the body. Generally, date syrup lasts around 18 months. The expiration date written on the date syrup is the “best by” date of using it. But, it doesn’t mean that the product will go rancid after that time. Usually, it is common to still being safe to consume this product after its expiration date. How to make date syrup at home? In a recent Guardian interview, Ottolenghi referred to date syrup the one "curveball" ingredient in his book Jerusalem and it features in our Jerusalem ingredients set. Ottolenghi recommends drizzling date syrup on " roasted veg or hummus-like purées." Date syrup is also beautiful drizzled over goats cheese, greek yoghurt, or as a substitution for processed sugar in baking recipes. Dewanto V, Wu X, Adom KK, Liu RH. Thermal processing enhances the nutritional value of tomatoes by increasing total antioxidant activity. J Agric Food Chem. 2002; 50(10):3010–3014. doi: 10.1021/jf0115589. [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Cheng Z, Su L, Moore J, Zhou K, Luther M, Yin J-J, Yu L. Effects of postharvest treatment and heat stress on availability of wheat antioxidants. J Agric Food Chem. 2006; 54(15):5623–5629. doi: 10.1021/jf060719b. [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar]

Al-Farsi M, Alasalvar C, Morris A, Baron M, Shahidi F. Comparison of antioxidant activity, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and phenolics of three native fresh and sun-dried date ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) varieties grown in Oman. J Agric Food Chem. 2005; 53(19):7592–7599. doi: 10.1021/jf050579q. [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] While I do enjoy lot of Dates, but unfortunately I cut down on Dibs wa Thineh.......however I make up on Masgouf and probably Masgouf deserves it's own thread. Manzocco L, Anese M, Nicoli MC. Antioxidant properties of tea extracts as affected by processing. LWT Food Sci Technol. 1998; 31(7–8):694–698. doi: 10.1006/fstl.1998.0491. [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Azelmat K, ElGarrouj D, Mouhib M, Sayah F. Irradiation of ‘Boufeggous’ dates: effects on chemical composition during storage. Postharvest Biol Technol. 2006; 39(2):217–222. doi: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2005.10.008. [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Randhir R, Lin YT, Shetty K. Phenolics, their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity in dark germinated fenugreek sprouts in response to peptide and phytochemical elicitors. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004; 13(3):295–307. [ PubMed] [ Google Scholar]

Traditional ways of consuming date syrup include rubbing it on bread or drizzling it on top of pancakes, oatmeal, cheese, and salad. Some people like sweet cuisines, so you can find date syrup traces in cooking too. Since date syrup is an alternative to sugar, you can use this product in any condition that you usually use sugar. What about date syrup benefits for weight loss? Riganakos KA. Food irradiation techniques. In: Arvanitoyannis IS, editor. Irradiation of food commodities: techniques, applications, detection, legislation, safety and consumer opinion. London: Elsevier Science; 2010. pp. 23–42. [ Google Scholar] Date syrup is kept in an airtight jar. It’s better to keep it in a cool place or a refrigerator. Although there is no necessity in refrigerating this product, the refrigerated date syrup can last for a longer period without going rancid. Ultrasonic extraction: the date fruit pulp was blended 3 times with distilled water and then, the mixture was mixed carefully and the extraction was carried out at 30±5°C for 30min in ultrasonic device (Entezari et al. 2004). But it would help if you were careful about the amount of the dates syrup you eat each day. Since dates are high in calories and sugar, you shouldn’t eat much. You can add one or two tablespoons of dates syrup to your diet or just use it as a natural sweetener to avoid consuming sugar or unhealthy sweets. Is date syrup good for diabetics?

Ratti C. Hot air and freeze-drying of high-value foods: a review. J Food Eng. 2001; 49(4):311–319. doi: 10.1016/S0260-8774(00)00228-4. [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Falade KO, Abbo ES. Air-drying and rehydration characteristics of date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruits. J Food Eng. 2007; 79(2):724–730. doi: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2006.01.081. [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Moreover, date syrup contains many more antioxidants than maple syrup, making it a perfect product for brain health. What is date syrup used for?