Dear
Friends of Pato's Dream Date Gardens,
Our
2009 crop of organically grown dates from our 5-acre farm in the Coachella
Valley of California is almost ready
for harvesting. Our first picking will be the Marianas (in the khalaal
stage), ready in mid-August. The Black Sphinx and Barhis (khalaal
stage) should be ready in early and mid-September. The new crop of
halawis and medjhools should be ready by the end of September and early
October. When ordering 2-lb. boxes, we ship in flat-rate priority mail
postal boxes, so it saves you and us on shipping to order 2 or 4 boxes
at a time. ( For year end delivery, we will ship orders
received on or before December 14, 2009, and
will resume shipments January 4, 2010.) We
continue to offer our dates at the Alhambra Farmers
Market most Sundays through about April, and on -line at www.localharvest.org
web site (or, with a check, direct from Pato's).
GOT POTASSIUM?
A
new study suggests that consuming twice as much potassium as sodium can
halve your risk of dying from cardio-vascular disease (see LATIMES.COM/HEALTH,
p. F3 from 2/23/09). Most Americans have high sodium (salt) content in
their diets, often causing high blood
pressure. The new study stresses the benefits of
cutting back on salt and increasing potassium. Bananas and dates are
two of the fruits highest in potassium. Eat more dates and control
that blood pressure and live longer!
Best
wishes from Doug and Debbie Adair and the workers of Pato's Dream Date
Gardens.
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Khalaal Dates, 2009 harvest
Pato's will
offer organically grown fresh picked dates, including Barhis, in the
khalaal stage, for mail order purchase, for 8 weeks only, August 1-September
30, 2009. Dates in the Khalaal stage are still
crunchy, like an apple. The color is usually yellow (or magenta -
purple in the case of Black Sphinx). As they continue to ripen after
picking, they begin to turn amber and brown (or black), turning very soft in
the rutab stage. (If left on the palm, they continue to ripen from the
rutab to their final stage, tamar, and then begin to lose moisture, becoming
firm enough to ship, and then chewy). The flavor of dates in the khalaal
stage can be on the tart side, pucker your mouth like a persimmon, unless
picked very close to ripening, and then a very special flavor. (I
wait for a brown spot to appear to tell me they are ready, but many palates
prefer them earlier than that). Put them in the fridge to hold them in
the khalaal stage a little longer, or hang them out in kitchen, porch, or
sukkah to continue ripening. (Keep dry and airy to avoid mold).
Best wishes for 2009,
Doug and Debbie Adair and the workers of Pato's Dream Date Gardens