Medjool Dates in Yuma AZ: What to Know and Eat

Medjool dates in Yuma AZ are the large, soft, caramel-sweet fruit of date palms that thrive in the hot, dry valley beside the Colorado River, and the area has become known for them. Taste a fresh one, try a date shake and rate what you ate in the Mosey app so the next visitor knows what to look for.

Fresh dates are a pleasure worth learning: how to taste one, how to tell a good shake from a pale one and how to buy a box that survives the drive home.

What are Medjool dates in Yuma AZ?

A large, soft date with a deep, honeyed flavor, grown on tall palms. Date palms love heat and need plenty of water at the roots, which is exactly what the irrigated desert valley offers. The fruit ripens in clusters high in the tree, and workers climb to tend and harvest it by hand. The result is a fruit so rich that many people eat one as dessert, or stuff one with a nut, a piece of cheese or a strip of bacon for an appetizer. Chopped dates also find their way into baked goods, salads and sauces, where their sweetness balances salt and spice.

If you have only had dried dates from a grocery store, a fresh one will surprise you.

How do you taste fresh dates from Arizona?

Slowly. Look for a plump, glossy date with a slight wrinkle in the skin, and bite into the soft flesh around a single seed. Notice the texture, which should be sticky but not hard, and the flavor, which ranges from caramel to toffee. Pair one with a small cup of unsweetened coffee or tea, or with a piece of cheese. A good date needs nothing else.

If you are new to dates, taste two or three of different softness. Some are firm and chewy, some almost jammy, and the difference tells you how long the fruit stayed on the palm. A farm that lets you taste before you buy is a farm that trusts its fruit, and a rating that records the texture helps the next buyer.

Store them in a cool place, and eat them within a few weeks.

What is a Yuma date shake?

A thick milkshake made with ice cream and chopped dates, a tradition in the date-growing districts of the Southwest. It is sweet, creamy and filling, and a small one is plenty. Some versions add a little banana or cinnamon, and the best are made with real chopped fruit rather than a syrup. If the shake is gritty with seeds or very pale, the date is probably an afterthought. If it is deep tan with flecks of fruit, you are in the right place. Sip slowly, because it is thick. Compare shakes by the balance: too much ice cream hides the fruit, and too much fruit makes it gritty. The best are deep tan with flecks of fruit, thick enough to need a spoon at first and a straw at the end. A pale, thin shake means the date was an afterthought. Rate it by the dish: "thick, real date pieces, not too sweet".

Where is the Yuma date farm experience?

At working farms and shops that welcome visitors, where available. Hours and tours change with the season, and some places close for harvest or for the heat, so do not rely on an old listing. If you visit, follow the farm's rules, stay out of the groves unless invited, and ask before you take photographs of workers. A kind question and a purchase are the polite way to enjoy a farm. If you cannot visit, a shop or a market stall that sells local fruit is the next best thing, and the same tasting rules apply.

What are Yuma date palm groves like?

Tall, dense and shady, with fronds that rustle in the wind. A grove is a cool place on a hot day, and a picture of how people have farmed dry land for thousands of years. They are working places, so treat them with respect. You can enjoy the view from a road or a public viewpoint without going in.

How do you buy and store dates?

Buy from a source you trust, and ask what variety you are getting. Medjool dates are the largest and softest; other varieties are smaller and drier. A box makes a good gift, and a few in a bag make a good snack on a road trip. Keep them cool, and refrigerate in hot weather. For a longer store, freeze them in a sealed bag and thaw them at room temperature. A box that travels in a hot car is a box of sticky regret, so carry a cooler on a summer road trip. Do not guess at prices in a rating, since they change.

How do you rate dates and date shakes?

Give the place stars, then name the item: "fresh Medjool dates", "date shake". Say how soft the fruit was, how sweet the shake was and whether the portion felt fair. If you are with friends, tag them, and they can add their own rating of the same treat. Tags such as Dessert, Great Value and Family Friendly can help the next visitor. A date farm visit is a fine family outing, so mention whether children could taste, whether there was shade and whether the staff were happy to answer questions.

Where next in Yuma?

The Yuma restaurants guide covers lunch and dinner, and the winter lettuce guide covers the vegetables. The US food guides cover more regional foods.

For the rest of the state, start at the Food in Arizona page.

Open the Mosey app after your next date shake in Yuma, rate it by the dish and add the stop to a list called Sweet things.