This is the life cycle of the date. They will do well at room temperatures for several weeks, but should be refrigerated when possible. If white sugar spots or film appear during storage, the quality of the date is not affected. This is due to the natural curing process of the date. Film or spots may be removed with a damp cloth or the date may be eaten as is.
Dates are a prime natural source of Potassium.
The Potassium to Sodium ratio in dates is an astounding 1300 to 1. Dates also contain many of the Vitamins as well as many minerals in addition to Potassium. Dates are also high in Phosphorus. There is more iron in a date than in an equal quantity of raisins. The high enzyme content of raw and unheated dates insures proper assimilation of all its vitamins and minerals.