How to Keep Dates Soft for Months

A date is a dried fruit that is still alive: leave it in a warm kitchen and it hardens, put it straight into the cold and it sweats. A few small habits keep a box tasting like the day it was packed.

Where to keep them

• For the next two weeks, an airtight jar in a cool cupboard, away from the stove and the sun.
• For up to six months, the fridge, in the same airtight jar so they do not take on other smells.
• For a whole year, the freezer. Thaw them in the closed jar so they do not sweat.

Bringing a dry date back

Steam them for two or three minutes, or leave them for a few hours in a closed jar with a slice of apple. They soften again without losing any sweetness.

Stuffed dates are different: their fillings belong in the fridge and are best within two weeks.