The Best Dates We’ve Tried

janvier 04, 2025

Hand-harvested in California's Coachella Valley, these fresh, organic dates are plump and velvety soft with caramel notes. And they ship right to your door.

Dear Milk Streeter,

Years ago, I traveled through part of the Sahara on camel, and the snack of preference was a large leather bag of dates. Unlike the dried-out, gnarly dates that I was used to, these dates were a revelation: soft, tender, maple-like and full of flavor.

I asked our Store team to find a source for these amazing dates, and they came across Rancho Meladuco. Grown organically and handpicked in California's Coachella Valley, these Medjool dates are grown in the breezes off the Salton Sea. They're large, tender and fudgy—not fibrous, like grocery store deglets—and taste like butterscotch and brown sugar, with hints of citrus, maple and whiskey.

And they were a hit here at Milk Street when we tried them. Some called them the best dates they've ever tried. "They aren't cloyingly sweet like the dry, chewy dates you find at grocery stores," says Wes Martin, Director of Culinary Production. "They're soft, unctuous and perfectly tender."

Rancho Meladuco's 4 original trees have grown into a 200-tree grove. Rancho Meladuco harvests their dates from August through October and packs each box by hand (each one comes with recipe card, so it's also gift ready). Try these velvety, caramelly dates in savory recipes calling for dates, on a cheeseboard, in baking or milkshakes or all by themselves.

Cordially,