Deglet Nour dates with pit in bulk Organic

Why are these dates sold with the stone still in?

A whole date keeps its flesh protected, so it dries out more slowly and stays evenly soft. Kazidomi Vrac sells these organic Deglet Nour whole, by weight, in a 500 g bag from Tunisia. The stone lifts out with your fingers, or with one cut down the side of the fruit.

Dates with stones or stoned dates: which do I want?

Whole ones keep better and are made for eating by hand. The stoned version from Kazidomi Vrac goes straight into a blender for a paste, a raw base or a filling. The variety is the same in both bags, so pick on what you plan to do rather than on taste.

How do I take the stone out without wrecking the date?

Run a knife point down the length, open the flesh out, then lift the stone away: it comes free easily once the fruit has sat at room temperature. Deglet Nour from Kazidomi Vrac stay firm enough to hold their shape afterwards, which is what makes them worth stuffing with an almond.

What do I do with them?

Eat them alongside coffee or tea, mix them through a bag of nuts and dried fruit, slice them over porridge, or work them into a tagine and a poultry stuffing. Kazidomi Vrac dates bring a sweet note to savoury cooking, and they sit particularly well with cinnamon and cumin.

How should I store them?

Somewhere cool and dry, away from damp and heat, in an airtight box. Kazidomi Vrac sells them loose rather than individually wrapped, so tipping them into a jar when you get home stops them sticking together. A date gone hard comes back after a few minutes in warm water.