Date Honey Syrup – Recipe for Middle Eastern Silan, sweet condiment made only of pure natural dates.
Sumerian legend claims that the date palm was Earth’s first fruit tree. According to their mythology, Enki (god of the freshwater ocean) created the tree with help from Inanna (goddess of love, fertility and warfare) and a raven. The raven pollinated the trees and irrigated the grove with an ancient tool called a shaduf. In ancient Mesopotamia, the date palm tree served as the inspiration behind the “Tree of Life” concept, which connects earth, heaven and the underworld and provides gifts of fertility, immortality and wisdom.
Dates are unique in that they have several stages of ripeness and can be eaten both fresh and dried (the way we most commonly know them). Their sweetness pairs well with cheese, meat and vegetable courses. Of course, they can also stand alone as a dessert course– they are quite sweet. Throughout history, dates have been called the “bread of the desert” and the “cake of the poor.” In many parts of the world they are considered an affordable source of nutrition, comparable to rice, wheat and potatoes. They are dried and easily preserved; because of their extended shelf life, they helped to sustain Arab sailors during long voyages at sea.
As one of the Seven Species mentioned in the Torah, dates are referred to as “d’vash” which directly translates to honey. Many scholars believe that the Torah’s mention of honey is actually date honey, or date syrup, rather than the kind produced by bees. Today I will walk you through the process of making this ancient condiment, which can be used in a variety of delicious ways. It can take the place of maple syrup or honey in many recipes, adding a depth of flavor to everything it touches. I often use it to liven up savory dishes or to enhance desserts. The date, known as a “tamar” in Hebrew, is a symbolic food for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday as well. It takes a lot of dates to make a little date honey, so try to find your dates in bulk. I was able to find a two-pound package at my local grocery store for $5.50, which produces between 1 and 1 1/2 cups date honey. It’s a powerful, flavorful condiment and a little goes a long way. Definitely worth trying.
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Date Honey Syrup - Silan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pitted dates
- 8 1/2 cups hot water or more if needed
NOTES
Instructions
- Place dates and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer and cook for 2 hours or until dates are very soft and starting to dissolve. If mixture begins to look dry, add a little more hot water; dates should be mostly covered by liquid throughout the process. By the end of cooking the liquid should be thick and brown.
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Pour the liquid through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large mixing bowl.
- Add small batches of dates to the cheesecloth (about 1 cup at a time) and give them a really good squeeze, trying to get out as much of the liquid as possible. Remove the pulp and continue with the remaining dates.
- Clean out your saucepan and pour the strained date liquid back into it. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat a bit and simmer for another 20-30 minutes or until liquid thickens enough to coat the back of a cold spoon. It should have the consistency of thick maple syrup. Remove from heat.
- Date honey will continue to thicken as it cools. Once it reaches room temperature, it should be similar to the consistency of honey. If the mixture isn't thick enough for you, feel free to warm it up again and resimmer. Careful not to overcook or overthicken.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Research Sources:
Nasrallah, Nawal. Dates: A Global History. London: Reaktion, 2011. Print.
Vamosh, Miriam Feinberg. Food at the Time of the Bible. Palphot Ltd., Herzelia Israel. Print.
Interview with Dr. Tova Dickstein, Neot Kedumim Biblical Landscape Reserve, Israel.
It’s fantastic good job 👍⭐⭐⭐
Is there anything one can do with the leftover date mash?
It has skins in it, so it has a strange texture, and it’s quite thick. I haven’t figured out a use for it (yet), but if you find one let me know!
Maybe you could make charoset?
How would one prepare this using an InstaPot/pressure cooker or similar device??
For squeezing: could one line a large-holed colander with cheese cloth and then weight it down [as one does with eggplant]? I do not have much hand strength. What about a juicer?
How far ahead can silan be prepared – keep in fridge? freezer?
Doing ahead is a way of life.
ALL your recipes sound scrumptious. Your directions are gem-grade clear. What a joy! Undoubtedly every one will be 5-star.
Would you consider indicating up to what step can be made ahead [and how far ahead] plus re-heating method recommended and in the rare case of leftovers, how to store and how long.
Another question about many recipes is whether or NOT they can be multiplied and, if so, how. For example, Rainbow Israeli Salad – easy-peasy;, but the cakes/loaves and the basmati rice??? Often I prepare dishes for functions at my synagogue.
Thank you so much for the many recipes PLUS their back story, which is every bit as much an ingredient , adding flavor for the soul.
L’shana tov u’matukah – kol tuv and todah rabbah m’od.
L’shalom,
Layah Channah
PS The comment about silan substituting for molasses plus the note about a fig version makes me wonder about the possibility of pomegranate honey.
Hi Layah, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. We do not use Instant Pots for any of our recipes, so unfortunately I cannot advise on how this recipe can be made in one. As for squeezing, I think the method you mentioned would probably work well! The Silan can be kept for 4-6 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, though please keep in mind that some sugar crystallization may occur. Most of our recipes can easily be multiplied, however it is a different story with baked goods. For cakes and breads I would stick to making the recipe as directed. Hope this is helpful!
Thanks for the recipe and the precise directions.
I wanted to try making date syrup because I visited the land of Israel last year and enjoyed it.
Mine turned out darker (maybe I overcooked it or maybe it was the dates– I used Medjool dates). Also, I didn’t realize you were supposed to simmer UNCOVERED for the 2 hours until I read the comments too late, so the next simmering stage took more than 30 minutes to reach the thickness. But the viscosity seems right and it tastes great. Excited to make again!
Thanks for the recipe! I made this last year and am making it again for Rosh Hashana. Date honey is the authentic honey referred to in the Torah.
Hi. Thanks for your post. I tried doing this but mine turned out to be watery. It did not thicken despite long hrs of cooking. Pls can you tell me what u think went wrong. I used dried dates.
Hi there! That is odd. My guess is that you started with more water than you needed. But any amount of liquid should cook down if you’re simmering it long enough. Eventually it will get syrupy. Maybe try a higher/hotter simmer of the liquid next time? Also make sure you cook they dates until they really start to soften and dissolve. This will help to thicken the resulting honey liquid. As a last resort to salvage this batch, you could blend some of the pulp into the liquid with a blender to thicken it slightly. It won’t have the perfectly smooth honey texture, but it will thicken it.
Hi Tori- Always stalking your recipes! Every single always has rave reviews. I know this is a older post however I have read thru the comments about what to do with the leftover dates. We make date balls another name are date truffles. Love your site thank you for bringing new ideas to cook that are fabulous!
When simmering the dates should the pan be covered or uncovered?
Uncovered.
Hello Tori,
I have made Date Syrup before and the final process of squeezing the juice through the cheese cloth is not a simple one – especially if a large quantity is being made.
Is there a machine that can help with that “Squeeze” process or how do they make this product in Bulk?
I made about 10 bottle (1 litre per bottle) – sealed the bottles and just left them in the pantry for up to 5 years – no problem – as long as bottle is air tight.
Hi Jonathan, I’m not sure, I’ve only made smaller batches before.
Try a potato ricer, works better than hand wringing.
You could try using a cold press machine to wring out the liquid faster. As long as the date mixture is not too watery, it should do the trick.
Hi
We have been making silan fir many years in larger quantities.
We use a table top fruit press to squeeze the soaked dates.
Works well but may need two people, one to hold the press and the other to press.
Be sure to make sure you get as much out of the fruits and that you are left with a dry pulp.
Generally Silan will last for many years but may thicken over time.
Perfect timing as I just found a recipe asking for date syrup. I hate waste. What do you recommend to do with all the dates?
mix with a drop of lemon juice and spread over buttered bread.
Tons of roughage and it tastes delicious.