I bought some dates. They are in a plastic container. I’ve used a few, but it will take me a long time to use all of them. Can I just leave them in this container out on the counter? There is a whitish excresence forming on the outside of them, but I’m thinking it’s sugar, not mold. They are from tropical climes; I live in a tropical clime.
I just freeze mine, they stay just fine that way.
Actually, date palms are desert natives. I doubt you’d be able to grow dates in a tropical climate.
Dried dates are from 60% to 80% sugar. This high sugar content tends to prevent spoilage. The white coating is almost certainly sugar. I would expect them to keep without refrigeration as long as they remain dry.
Yes, I’ve kept dates in a sealed container in my cabinet for a year or two. They dry out somewhat, but don’t spoil. I believe that they’ve pulled recognizable dates out of the pyramids, but when I try to search for that, all I get are websites on dating when the pyramids were built.