A dry fruit date each day does miracle to body of a human. Besides nutritional benefits, it provides an instant energy and controls food cravings. When I was a kid, I remember my mom used to give milk with lion dates syrup before going to bed. That gives an instant energy, also helps me to do my home work faster. I have some dry dates which I bought few months back, sitting in corner of my pantry. So I was thinking of making homemade dates syrup.

Homemade date syrup recipe is simple, tastes absolutely yummy and lip smacking. To make homemade date syrup, you simply simmer dates and water together until dates turns soft, strain it with a cheese cloth and then simmer the date water to thicken. Done !! It tastes like “HONEY”. You can use homemade date syrup as a sweetener in oat meal, tea , smoothies or sprinkle at the top of ice cream, cereal, pan cakes, cakes or pudding. Date syrup are good for kids and adults.

No preservative !! No sugar added !!!!! Healthy Sweetener !!! Try this recipe and enjoy !!!!!!!!

   Ingredients

• 1 Cup (35) Dates, Well Packed, I used Tunisia Seedless dates
• 1.5 Cups of Water

  Method

• Heat a pan with water , add dates, bring to boil.  Cover it and simmer it for 45 mins in a low flame until dates becomes soft. Mash it with a masher and then allow to cool it.

• After that, strain it using cheese cloth or any plain cloth or muslin cloth works good.
• Squeeze well and extract the juice as much you can. Add 2 Tbsp of water and then squeeze it again.

• Once you done that, filter it and bring the juice back to the stove and heat it in a medium flame and wait until you get the thick consistency. Keep stirring in between in order to prevent the burning at the bottom.
• This takes about 12 mins to thick. At this stage, you can see white curdles and frothy, take a spoonful of syrup, feel it with your thumb and fore finger, somewhat thick and gooey. Turn off the flame. Let it cool for sometime.

• Transfer it to a clean air tight bottle and name it along with a date and refrigerate  it.

    Tips

• Do not do it in a high flame, always do it in a medium or low flame.
• Use the leftover pulp to make yummy cocoa coconut truffles.
• Store it in a clean airtight bottle to avoid contamination.
• You can substitute dates syrup from baking to smoothies to a cup of tea. 
• You can add any following ingredients to change the flavor

1. Cinnamon
2. Cardamom
3. Ginger
4. Vanilla

    Health Benefits of Dates Syrup

• High in Iron content and Florine
• Rich in vitamins and minerals and dietary fiber which prevents LDL cholesterol absorption from the gut..
• They are great energy boosters as they contains sucrose, fructose and Glucose. To get more advantage, add dates to the milk, to make it more nutritious.
• Cures abdominal cancer and constipation.
• It helps in weight gain.
• Good for heart, brain and nervous system.
• Treats anemia.