Date Honey Syrup – Recipe for Middle Eastern Silan, sweet condiment made only of pure natural dates.
Sumerian legend claims that the date palm was Earth’s first fruit tree. According to their mythology, Enki (god of the freshwater ocean) created the tree with help from Inanna (goddess of love, fertility and warfare) and a raven. The raven pollinated the trees and irrigated the grove with an ancient tool called a shaduf. In ancient Mesopotamia, the date palm tree served as the inspiration behind the “Tree of Life” concept, which connects earth, heaven and the underworld and provides gifts of fertility, immortality and wisdom.
Dates are unique in that they have several stages of ripeness and can be eaten both fresh and dried (the way we most commonly know them). Their sweetness pairs well with cheese, meat and vegetable courses. Of course, they can also stand alone as a dessert course– they are quite sweet. Throughout history, dates have been called the “bread of the desert” and the “cake of the poor.” In many parts of the world they are considered an affordable source of nutrition, comparable to rice, wheat and potatoes. They are dried and easily preserved; because of their extended shelf life, they helped to sustain Arab sailors during long voyages at sea.
As one of the Seven Species mentioned in the Torah, dates are referred to as “d’vash” which directly translates to honey. Many scholars believe that the Torah’s mention of honey is actually date honey, or date syrup, rather than the kind produced by bees. Today I will walk you through the process of making this ancient condiment, which can be used in a variety of delicious ways. It can take the place of maple syrup or honey in many recipes, adding a depth of flavor to everything it touches. I often use it to liven up savory dishes or to enhance desserts. The date, known as a “tamar” in Hebrew, is a symbolic food for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday as well. It takes a lot of dates to make a little date honey, so try to find your dates in bulk. I was able to find a two-pound package at my local grocery store for $5.50, which produces between 1 and 1 1/2 cups date honey. It’s a powerful, flavorful condiment and a little goes a long way. Definitely worth trying.
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Beauty shots and styling by Bethany Nauert.
Date Honey Syrup - Silan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pitted dates
- 8 1/2 cups hot water or more if needed
NOTES
Instructions
- Place dates and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer and cook for 2 hours or until dates are very soft and starting to dissolve. If mixture begins to look dry, add a little more hot water; dates should be mostly covered by liquid throughout the process. By the end of cooking the liquid should be thick and brown.
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Pour the liquid through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large mixing bowl.
- Add small batches of dates to the cheesecloth (about 1 cup at a time) and give them a really good squeeze, trying to get out as much of the liquid as possible. Remove the pulp and continue with the remaining dates.
- Clean out your saucepan and pour the strained date liquid back into it. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat a bit and simmer for another 20-30 minutes or until liquid thickens enough to coat the back of a cold spoon. It should have the consistency of thick maple syrup. Remove from heat.
- Date honey will continue to thicken as it cools. Once it reaches room temperature, it should be similar to the consistency of honey. If the mixture isn't thick enough for you, feel free to warm it up again and resimmer. Careful not to overcook or overthicken.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Research Sources:
Nasrallah, Nawal. Dates: A Global History. London: Reaktion, 2011. Print.
Vamosh, Miriam Feinberg. Food at the Time of the Bible. Palphot Ltd., Herzelia Israel. Print.
Interview with Dr. Tova Dickstein, Neot Kedumim Biblical Landscape Reserve, Israel.
Nancy Kendall Kruse says
Christmas idea!
Jacquie Robenolt Gregor says
Yum
Jon Gabriel says
That looks way beyond delicious! Could you stir that into milk?
Tori Avey says
Jon it would be too thick to stir into cold milk, but it would mix well into hot milk or other warm beverages like tea 🙂
Steve Coney says
chai latte
Amy @ What Jew Wanna Eat says
So simple and yet genius! Love that it’s vegan too. I wonder how this would be drizzled over oatmeal for breakfast.
Diann Kollman says
was wine made from this honey?
James David Dickerson Jr says
I Love dates
Lisa Doyle-Bell says
my husband threw out my date honey I had it in the fridge and the power went out for 5 days he thought it would have spoiled, he never opened it to check
Tori Avey says
Lisa I think it probably would have been fine. I’ve kept it out for a few days with no issues, but I do recommend refrigerating it to be safe and to extend the shelf life.
Dee Schuiling says
honey never spoils, so i wouldnt think dates would either
Lisa Doyle-Bell says
I know I was crushed and have not purchased any more
Lael says
Honey has natural antibiotic properties. Dates don’t.
Darcy says
First of all honey does spoil in very hot weather, and secondly here in N. Africa there is date syrup and we don’t keep it in the fridge unless it is very hot outside (August). By the way, Tamar has the same name in Arabic, too.
Gail Wright says
my friend brought me some back from Israel
Suzanne Brown says
Mmm, sounds good.
Heather A. Soloman says
I love dipping my apples in honey.
Mike Janning says
I will have to use this. YUM!
Colleen Wolfe says
Nice and a great vegan alternative!
Donna Bolyard-Gerson says
Going to try this.
Debbie Mukamal says
We use silan and chopped walnuts for our charoset
Rachael Shapiro says
I love it. Ue it for baked apples. 🙂
Amir Sela says
thereʻs also a fig version 🙂 http://www.para-para.co.il/inventory_images/0000000001696.jpg
Jess Lynn says
Ooooh neat
Leonard Norris III says
It sounds really good.
Alexis I Skriloff James says
your recipies lately have been stellar
Louise Mellor says
Mmmmmm!