Скачать или смотреть Homemade Date Syrup & Prune Molasses – Perfect Sweeteners ( Full recipes in description)

If you’ve ever stood in your kitchen holding a bottle of honey in one hand and maple syrup in the other, wondering if there are other options for natural sweeteners that you haven’t thought of before… good news. There are, and they start in California orchards and date groves. Let’s talk about date syrup and prune molasses—two deeply flavorful, naturally sweet pantry staples that deserve way more attention than they get.

They’re rich, concentrated, and quietly powerful, made from fruit that California farmers have been growing for generations. No artificial flavors. No complicated ingredients. Just fruit, time, and a little patience.

Printable recipes here: https://californiagrown.org/recipes/d...

Date Syrup
Prep time: 15 - 20 mins
Cook time: 3 hrs
Yields: 1 cup

1 lb dried pitted dates
4 cups water

For the date syrup:
Chop the dates roughly.
Soak the dates in boiling water for 20 minutes, then discard the soaking liquid afterwards.
Place the soaked dates in a large pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid, for 1.5-2 hrs
Allow to cool completely.
Place a sieve over a large bowl and line it with a large piece of cheesecloth. Alternatively, you can use a nut bag.
Squeeze all of the water from the cooked dates thoroughly. You’ll need to do this in smaller batches unless you have a very large piece of cheesecloth. You should get about 2 cups of liquid.
Pour the date juice into a pot and allow it to come to a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 45-60 minutes until the excess water evaporates and the syrup reduces by approximately half.
If you dip a spoon into the syrup, it should coat the back of the spoon – the syrup will become even thicker after cooling. If the syrup is too thin for your liking, return it to the heat and reduce some more, but be careful not to over reduce.

Prune Molasses
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 - 1.5 hrs
Yield: 1 cup

4 cups prune juice

For the prune molasses:
Bring the prune juice to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about one hour, occasionally scraping down the sides.
Cook down the juice until it reaches a slightly thick, syrupy consistency and yields about ¾ cup – 1 cup.
If you dip a spoon in it, the syrup should coat the back of it – the syrup will become even thicker after cooling. If the syrup is too thin for your liking, return it to the heat and reduce some more, but be careful not to over reduce.