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dates

bittbitt Raw Newbie

I thought that dates grew on trees and we raw. But then I read somewhere that they may be steamed. Is this true? If so, do I have to order dates or can I trust the ones in the grocery store?

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  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    I want to know this too! I love dates….

  • Normally, if they are organic dates w/o added sugar, they aren’t steamed,( probably due to Bacillus Cereus overgrowth possiblities—scary stuff) careful of prepackaged dates though.

  • Bacillus Cereus overgrowth

    What is this?

    I bought a box of dates from a grower in California and they really seem to put the weight on my hips!

  • I doubt dates would cause weight gain unless you are eating A LOT more calories than you are using.

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    Maybe Bacillus Cereus is scary because it puts weight on the hips. Hum?

    Isn’t the dates from the, Date People suppose to be raw? In the stores, even health food type I have never seen the word organic connected with dates.

  • I found out later that Bacillus Cereus actually only occurs in meat/dairy, sorry for the scare. Dates aren’t exactly diet food, so if you’re worried, reduce consumption. beany, never heard of organic dates? wow, maybe it’s only a southern thing…........ “we got dem der organic dates ya’ll”lol. sorry, couldn’t resist

  • I get organic dates all the time here on the east coast. To be safe, I would get unpitted dates and hope that they are raw. Unfortunately, as of this time, dates are one of those items that are rarely adjectified as “raw” and now we have almonds labeled as “raw” or “truly raw,” so “raw” doesn’t mean much! Argh!

    I’d enjoy them if you like them, even if you can’t figure out of they are raw or not.

  • Beany, it was stated that the box of dates seemed to put weight on the hips, not the Bacillus Cereus; that’s what I was responding to.

  • I get dates at a local natural store called Oasis Organic Date Garden, I believe. I haven’t contacted them but I went to there web page and they walk you through their process of collecting the dates all the way to packaging. They never mention anything about the dates being processed or irradiated. Don’t think these guys are steamed. I will let you know more as soon as I contact them!

  • Wooohooo! Oasis is where I ordered my dates from. I got the medjool and they are yuuuuummy! They have seeds in them and are very good for just about anything that you would use a date for including just eating them right out of the box for a yummy sweet! I used to love dates filled with cream cheese and rosted almond wrapped in bacon. I wish I could copy that taste with raw,but I am sure that very soon I will not be desiring that stuff any more. I hope, I hope! I think that I have just gone overboard with eating too many dates and nuts lately. Victoria Boutenko also said that she has fought the bulge even on raw food. Of course maybe it is more because of the fat in the nuts!

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    pulse~ You can probably reproduce a similar taste from recipes on this site. Try using the queenfluff’s Raw Bacon- recipe with poemomm’s Real Cream Cheese recipe. Since the cheese has nuts in it, you might want to skip the almond. If not, for a roasted effect, dehydrate with some spices. This is probably a bit of work to do, but what an gastronomic adventure. :)

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    Has any one tried other dates other than Medjool and the one all stores have? I understand there is one that tastes like caramel.

  • bluedolfin – I did try that bacon. Not totally raw, but then I am not perfect, yet! YET! :) The bacon was kind of greasy, or something. I did not really like it. Maybe I would like real bacon even less, now. I do not even want to think about trying real bacon! Ugh! Some of those foods that I used to eat are just not worth trying to copy! But thanks for the thought!!!!

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    pulse~ There was a whole discussion about how to make it less oily, somewhere… I know when I made it, I used very little oil. I liked the taste though. I was thinking even to spray the oil on rather than mixing it in. Another option might be to add a little “smoke” to the cream cheese and forgo the bacon part altogether… If not, chalk it up to a taste from the past.

  • Yes, a taste from the past. It’s just one of the many, but when I get to thinking about it, I just pop a sweet cherry in my mouth and let the flavor soak into me, and voila! I am not wanting the past anymore.

    By the way, Bluedolfin, have you seen the dolfin stress test? If you haven’t google it! After you take the test, let me know if you need a vacation!!! Hee Hee!

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    pulse~ I haven’t seen it, but I’ll check it out. However, without even taking it, I know I need a vacation… oh, wait… is there something beyond the vacation catagory? :(

  • I have used Medjool dates but I find them expensive. Although I don’t believe they are raw, I have settled on honey dates. I probably eat an average of 3-5 per day. One step at a time. :) Peace, Karuna.

  • Wow, I can’t imagine wanting (pig) bacon, so don’t worry – it might pass! If not, there are probably other things you can enjoy, such as sun-dried tomatoes, or if you want to eat some cooked food, try some tempeh bacon or tofu bacon. Just don’t forget that there are always things that can taste better and are better for you as you evolve. Try using liquid smoke (not raw, I imagine). Or maybe you can put charcoal or whatever those wood chips are in your dehydrator. Haha! For a “grilled” dish.

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    pulse~ Hmmm… I did the dolphin stress test… weird… I didn’t see any difference. I could have sworn I am under a lot of stress… ;) ... might need to check my eyes though. heeheehee

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    so did we come to any conclusion about the dates?

    i doubt the dates are putting on the pounds if you are still eating bacon. but maybe i misunderstood.

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    anyone? are dates raw?

  • I donno but i’m panicking now if they aren’t cuz i luuuuuuv em sooo much!!! tee hee. :)

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    if they make you put weight on then they probably aren’t raw.

    You will only know if they are raw if you contact the manufacturer and ask them if they were steamed, and what temp were they dried at.

    Can’t you get sun dried dates in the USA? Or what about fresh dates? It is easy to get fresh dates here in the UK, they are not messed with, they’re totally as raw as Nature intended.

    I thought there was a USA company called The Date People who did raw dates, I wonder if they’re still going.

    If you add salt to your home made date syrup it tastes just like caramel.

  • Ha ha, Bluedofin, go right now and start packing for a looooong vacation!

    Bitt- I have been bacon free for several months! I even got my meat eating husband off bacon and milk. He used to go on attkins and eat a ton of bacon because it was “allowed” even though Atkins did not recomend it in later books.

    Anyway, I just went ahead and called Oasis where I purchase my dates. They said that even though the growing temps reach above 118 at times and the dates can be slightly dehydrated when they are harvested, they are still considered raw because of the hydration being recieved through the stem from momma tree. They say that sometimes they have to hydrate the fruit,but all is done in a way as to not cook the fruit.

  • Zoe- I checked with the date people, and they will have dates available only after harvest. As to the weight problem, well, that must be due to something else. For the most part I am loosing, but sometimes my old habits come back and I overeat fat and sweet fruit.

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    Sometimes when there is a discussion about whether something is raw or not, I think the most important factor that one is “really” looking for is not being addressed. It is not whether something is raw or not, the important factor is whether the enzymes are active (I don’t know if that is the correct term for a non-denatured enzyme) and/or maximum nutrients are available. So when a producer hims and haws over whether something is technically “raw” (like the response pulse received from Oasis) or says outright that something is raw, the info one is seeking isn’t being addressed. Frankly, I don’t know that many producers would know if their products’ nutritional potency has been compromised. There are many ways to compromise a product’s nutritional potency and claim the product is “raw.”. So there is a real dilemma trying to acquire useful information.

    pulse~ You have no idea how much I would love to go on vacation or go to somewhere to do a whole mind, body, spirit cleanse… :)

  • ZanzibarrrZanzibarrr Raw Newbie

    Bluedolfin- yes, I agree! but I think that’s kind of what some people think anyway when they think raw, like Zoe when she says something like agave might be raw but it’s not raw and it will stay on my deadfood list :)

  • The lady I talked to said that she had talked to someone who is a raw food book author. She could not remember his name, but he had approved of thier method. She said they usually just harvest and sell. No pesticides and no processing. The hydrating is done if the fruit is allowed to stay on the tree too long and dry out. Well, any way, I don’t work there, nor do I really know. That is just what they said.

    Bluedolfin- can I go with you? Seems to me that I almost thought one of those dolfins was mooing! Wow! I think I had better stay away from the dates for a while maybe they are making me halucinate!!! ;)

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    the dates I get are by the bananas in the super market. i will have to look for the brand name next time and check with the company.

  • Someone on this site was talking about Victoria Boutenko and her weight stuggles. I am reading here book and I believe she has a metabolic problem that causes her to gain weight easily but she is a beautiful lady just how she is and she has gained so much ground in her health and the health of others also. I don’t think a lot of people here are obsessed with weight but many raw foodists are. It is too bad and I think that they have a very narrow view of what is health in all areas, not just the outward appearance. My pic on this forum is before I lost lots of weight and I am still losing it but there is just something in me that seems to be resisting changing it. mmmm

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