Focusing on dates, I'll be sharing three recipes on how to make your homemade sugar alternatives from dates.
Recipe 1: Dates paste
Recipe 2: Dates syrup
Recipe 3: Dates powder
Nutritional benefits of consuming dates
• If you are anemic, you will be doing yourself good consuming dates. A rich source of iron, important to prevent anemia.
• Boosts energy; increases stamina; helps get rid of fatigue and tiredness usually experienced in the morning.
• Improves digestion; promotes healthy bowel movements.
• Dates are rich in minerals: magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and more.
These minerals are essential for well-being.
• Promotes bone, and brain health.
Recipe 1: Dates paste
!!! To prolong the shelf life of this:
•Process in an hygienic manner; wash hands before, and in-between making; wear gloves if available; use heat resistant airtight consol glass jars/fido jars.
•Wash utensils, and glass jars (their covers too) thoroughly; boil utensils in hot water (over a lighted stove) for ten minutes; air dry on a kitchen paper towel on a cleaned surface, and environment.
After making recipe and adding to the jars, close tightly; insert tightly closed jars with content into fresh boiling water that is on a lighted stove for 10 mins; remove; let jars cool completely; place in the fridge; use when needed, but store in the fridge after use.
● Each time, use only designated spoons/utensils to scoop out paste from jar.
Do not lick such utensil, and then reintroduce into jar to scoop out.
Components: Date paste
500g Dates, purified water, ½ teaspoon vanilla (optional), a sprinkle/pinch of salt (optional), blender.
Method (explanatory video at the end)
● Rinse dates a few times to remove dirt.
● Open up dates, and remove seeds.
● Boil purified water; pour over dates; let it soak for an hour; do not discard the water; it is needed in the blending process.
● Remove soaked dates, add to a clean blender with the listed ingredients.
!!! Be careful with salt addition. A pinch is enough.
● Add a few tablespoon of water from the soaked dates to the blender with ingredients; Adjust water addition according to desired thickness and effectiveness of blender blades.
You want a thick paste.
● Transfer to sterilized and dried glass jar; close tightly; sterilize and store as explained above.
Recipe 2: Dates syrup
Tip: To prolong the shelf life of dates syrup.
• Use the preservation process explained in the "dates paste" section.
• With dates syrup, it is optional to store in the fridge; can be stored in a cool, dried, clean kitchen cupboard. Store away from moist spaces.
Ingredients: 500g dates, purified water, cheesecloth, sterilized cooking pot, sterilized stirring utensil.
Method (Look out for descriptive video at the bottom)
● Wash dates thoroughly with warm water a few times.
● Remove seeds and shred in pieces.
● Transfer to a clean, sterilized container; pound gently and slightly with a pestle; cover mashed dates with purified water, enough to have the mashed dates submerged.
● Let it soak for 24 hours at room temperature.
● After 24 hours, extract juice into a sterilized pot. Squeeze very dry, what is left from the soaked dates through a cheesecloth/drawstring filter bag into the pot.
● Simmer the extracted juice on a lighted stove on low heat. This thickens the juice into a syrup.
● Transfer into an airtight consol/fido jar; close tightly; sterilize closed jar as explained in previous recipe; store at room temperature in a cool, dry, clean space. It can also be refrigerated, but not compulsory. Ensure to store all three products away from moisture.
Dates syrup has the tendency to crystallize; simply reheat closed jar in hot water or in a microwave.
Used in marinades, cereals, desserts, hot/cold drinks, baking, toasts, waffles etc.
It is an easily dissolving sugar substitute.
Recipe 3: Dates powder
Disclaimer: Sterilize storage jar as described in recipe 1. However, DO NOT sterilize jar after pouring the dates powder into it as practiced in recipes 1 and 2.
Ingredients
Dates, water, airfryer oven or dehydrator or sunlight, dry mill blender
Method
● Wash dates thoroughly with lukewarm water. Pat dry or allow to air dry. Remove seeds.
● The dates left from recipe 2 is also useful; ensure the dates are squeezed very dry.
● Spread all dates on a tray; allow to air dry; further dry out in the sun, airfryer or dehydrator till it cracks easily.
● Transfer dried dates to a grinder/dry mill blender; blend till it turns powder; sieve powder; grind whatever lumps are left behind; repeat process if necessary.
● Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry, clean place.
Use as you would use sugar. It is an excellent sugar alternative.
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