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Dates pitted
Organic
Tunisia
Pitted Deglet Nour dates. Our partner South Organic in Kébili employs mainly women who carefully sort the fruit several times to guarantee the best quality. The pitted organic dates are firmer and drier than our panicle dates.
South Organic has been supplying us with fruits since 2003, when we helped to start up the company. At the time, it was one of the pioneers of organic farming in Tunisia. South Organic works closely with family farmers in the oases and offers their employees a stable income as well as good working conditions.
South Organic has been supplying us with fruits since 2003, when we helped to start up the company. At the time, it was one of the pioneers of organic farming in Tunisia. South Organic works closely with family farmers in the oases and offers their employees a stable income as well as good working conditions.
Use & preparation
- Dates also work well in savoury dishes, like this Carrot Salad.
- Ideal for use as a sweetener when baking – as home-made date syrup, for example: To make 200 g of syrup, combine 120 g of pitted dates and 80 g water. Leave to soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Drain the dates, reserving just a splash of water and blend until smooth. Read more here.
Storage & shelf life
Dates have a high moisture content and must be stored in a cool place. Do not keep them in airtight containers, otherwise they may begin to ferment. Store them in the refrigerator, in the cellar or outside, protected from frost. If the dates have dried out slightly over time, they will be preserved due to their naturally high sugar content. Our dates will keep for up to a year without any problems and will become drier and harder over time.
Sustainability & transparency
- Grown by 191 family farmers on an average of 1 ha in the region around Kebili in Tunisia
- Organic, irrigated fields, manually harvested and sorted, shipped immediately after harvest, transport: by lorry from Kebili to Radès, by ship to Genoa, by lorry to Switzerland/Germany, 100% of employees have an employment contract, wages on par with minimum wage or better
- Purchasing from cooperatives and family farmers straight from the farm since 2003
- Potential for improvement: More efficient irrigation systems that use less water
| Nutrition table per 100g | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1290kJ/308kcal |
| Fat | 0.5 g |
| thereof saturated fatty acids | 0.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 69 g |
| thereof sugar | 69 g |
| Protein | 2.5 g |
| Salt | 0.08 g |
ZIED FRIEJA
FARMER FROM HAZOUA, TUNISIA
Organic farming is good for our health and good for my income.
Zied Frieja comes from a family with eight children. He takes care of the plot that belongs to his father, Mohamed. He grows dates for export and citrus fruits for the local market on a single hectare. "I'm not a farmer by choice – it's an obligation. There are no other jobs here," he says. Still, Frieja loves everything about his job. "A plot of land can feed an entire family. If there is a problem on the plot, it affects the whole family."
