Fresh Dates

Fresh dates are one of the brief ephemeral pleasures of Southern California. I like the stage when they are almost fully ripe, but still very moist, with no astringy left. This is the Rutab stage. I once heard them described as like biting into a cloud.


From: http://fitfare.net/2006/07/20/exotic_fruit_fresh_dates/

Fresh dates can be eaten green or what is known at the kimri stage, where they have not ripened and have the consistency of a firm apple with a slightly sweet, green flavour. They are crunchy and slightly pithy near the seed.
If allowed to ripen, however, the water in the fruit evaporates and the sugars remain and become more concentrated, fresh dates darken, become soft (although not chewy), and the flavor intensifies exponentially. This is known as the rutab stage. Biting into a fresh, ripe date is like eating a spoonful of honey and sunshine.
In between the kimri and rutab stages is the khalal stage, where the date loses its astringency and starts to soften. Tamar is the dried stage where the dates are firm and dark, and most of the moisture in the fruit is gone.