Hot date anyone?

[bobleponge]

I have just been handed a plateful, still warm from the sun, and freshly picked about an hour ago.
Far too many for me, so quickly pop across and grab em while they're hot.

[zazen999]

Cheers Bob, but I'm off for a weigh-in in 45 mins...they'll probably be coldish by the time I get back.

[Rhona]

Wow, delicious... that makes up for the four thousand camel stews...

[Nicos]

D'oh..I thought that was a chat-up line

Hot dates- wow- I bet they're yummy!

[smallblueplanet]

Much prefer figs meself.

[shirlthegirl43]

Thanks for the offer, but not a fan of dates personally. Could do with a big dose of the sunshine though

[amandaandherveg]

Ooohhh..... Sticky Toffee Pudding made with your dates! Mmmmm..... Licks Lips!

[bobleponge]

D'oh..I thought that was a chat-up line:rolleyes

Hot dates- wow- I bet they're yummy!

Tsk Tsk Nicos, I just dont know what you mean

Anyway, at my age it wouldnt be so much a hot date as a luke warm fig.

Rubbish weather here today btw. Overcast and only about 35.

[Nicos]

Hmmmm...it's a rubbish day here too if you want to tobogganing!

[janeyo]

I don't think I have ever eaten a date? Have I? ( a real one I mean, not a man, I'm not a black widow spider)

What do they look, taste like?

[bobleponge]

When I was a kid I remember dates being sold in packets of a thing rugby ball shape, with a stick in the middle and these dark sticky gooey things inside with a big stone in the middle.
It was only when I started working in warmer climes that I realised they werent "proper" ones but preserved things.
Fresh dates are about the size of a big grape, (HW for example) but slightly flatter, lightish brown in colour and with a slightly fibrous texture. And sweeeeeeeet.
Yummy. If I had my camera lead so I could download pix, I would take a piccy of all the stones that are in my bin after I ate the entire tray that came into my office last night.
As a result I have probably lost half a stone today, but it was worth it.
And no comment on your black widow abilities or otherwise.

[SueA]

Oh, I missed them, you've eaten them all! I've never had fresh dates either just the ones in the packs at Christmas. Tried fresh figs though, not much taste on their own but nice drizzled with honey.

[janeyo]

So presumably they don't taste so great here then even if fresh? When are they in season in 'normal' countries?

[di]

Only like 'm dried I'm afraid....but cheers for the offer!......I take it eating a whole bowl of fresh has pretty much the same effect as a bag of dried???
I hate it when Julian Graves do 3 bags for the price of 2....I always fall for it & end up scoffing all three bags in about as many days!!!....like you say though...Great way to lose a bit of weight....even if you can't hardly move for trapped gasses!!

[bobleponge]

Sorry SueA, will give more warning for the next lot.
I'm sure you can find fresh dates in the UK, but I've never seen any. The taste is just poles apart. In Sudan they are starting to come into season now, in Algeria its later in the year, April time from memory. Where I was in Chad, I never saw any so couldnt tell you from there.
Taste is obviously a very subjective thing, but I find fresh dates beautiful.
When I worked in Algeria I was in the Sahara desert for a while in a tiny no horse town called In Salah. It had one hotel, which was where I lived, complete with pool. I would get up early every morning and have a swim, before it turned blood warm, and then picked a few dates from the tree on the way back to my room. Just beautiful.