Date syrup (Silan)

Step 1

Chop your dates roughly.

Step 2

Soak your dates in boiling water for 20 minutes to get rid of impurities, discard the soaking water afterwards.

Step 3

Place the soaked dates in a large lidded pot with 1 litre / 4 cups of water. Bring to a gentle boil, simmer, covered, for 1-2 hrs (2 is better if you have time).

Step 4

Allow it to cool down completely.

Step 5

Place a sieve over a large bowl and line the sieve with a large piece of cheesecloth or use a nut bag.

Step 6

Squeeze all of the water from the cooked dates really well. You'll need to do this in smaller batches unless you have a very large piece of cheesecloth. You should get about 2 cups of liquid.

Step 7

Pour the date juice into a pot and allow it to come to a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 45-60 minutes until the excess water evaporates and the syrup reduces by approximately half. If you dip a spoon in it, the syrup should coat the back of it - the syrup will become even thicker after cooling. If the syrup is too thin for your liking, return it to the heat and reduce some more, but be careful not to over reduce.