Using Dates?

Butch50 · Post by **Butch50** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 12:16 pm

Just ate a couple of dates and was wondering if anyone uses them for either making a rum mash, or for flavoring rums? The taste would seem to lend itself to a dark rum.

I did do a search but found not much info on them.

Thanks!

wineo · Post by **wineo** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 2:14 pm

I havent used them,but seen some date sugar.I would think it would taste like rum?

Butch50 · Post by **Butch50** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 2:49 pm

The flavor of the dates I was eating was a lot like the flavor of brown sugar, but better. I was thinking that they might make a fine rum, but of course they would be quite expensive for that, at least here in Texas they would cost a lot.

Or maybe putting a date into finished rum along with some spices for a dark spiced rum. Maybe.....

wineo · Post by **wineo** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 4:40 pm

The sugar is $$$!
http://www.naturalgrocers.com/200193-25.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

zymos · Post by **zymos** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 6:54 am

There are definitely traditional distilled spirits made from palms, and though most are made from the sap, I'd be surprised if the dates themselves hadn't been used historically also...

Butch50 · Post by **Butch50** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:36 am

I found references to "date wines" using google, and at least one recipe. There are some old traditional wines made from dates. I found a lot of recipes for "rum balls" too

I did not find any references to distilled spirits from date wines though

cannon.co.tn · Post by **cannon.co.tn** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 2:13 pm

Found this reference with a quick google search.

http://books.google.com/books?id=-qqHtt ... hwu_Ae-3zY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Apparently Araq/Arrack was originally a distilled date wine. Dry or "bread" dates have the highest sugar content. USDA database lists dates as being about 65% sugar. Wine grapes by comparison are typically less than 20% sugar.

Butch50 · Post by **Butch50** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:52 am

Except for cost then, it looks to be a good rum wash source.

fatbloke · Post by **fatbloke** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 11:33 am

Butch50 wrote:Except for cost then, it looks to be a good rum wash source. I will keep a look out for a cheap supply of dates - I have a hunch it would make a very smooth rum.

North Africa! There's definitely a good supply of dates in North Africa.

I suppose you could start in Egypt and then work your way west - you might have to detour round Libya, they probably have lots of dates, but I understand that they're not very friendly toward the US.

When you get to Morocco you can sneak across the "Straights of Gib" and fly home - hopefully with a very large bag of dates - Ooh, I just remembered, you'd probably have to smuggle them into the US as the USDA are a bit funny about "agri products" from outside continental north America!

So you might have to go to Italy, brew and distill there and then just put a very big bottle into your luggage (don't recall whether it would have to be hand baggage or in the hold), but it might work !!!!!!!! (at this point, I'm ducking to avoid a very large squadron of flying pigs

).

Ah, no, maybe not. Aren't the "TSA lot" a bit anal about any liquids that are in containers bigger than 100ml's just in case they're part of a binary explosive mix????

Ok, on the way back from Italy you could put the bottle in a shoe in your hand luggage, then you could have a slug when the "trolley" is at the other end of the plane - Ah, no, alcohol=explosive+in shoe! Thats been done before hasn't it.

Oh well, it looks like you might have to get a loan or something for enough dates to mash - however you get on, good luck with the recipe it does sound like the dates should make an excellent drink!