Dibs
Date syrup
Dibs (دبس): home-made Gulf date syrup
Across the Gulf, from the date gardens of Al-Ahsa to the oases of Oman and the UAE, dibs is the dark, glossy syrup pressed and boiled from ripe dates, and it was the region's sweetener long before sugar was common. It tastes of toffee and dried fruit with a faint bitterness, and families pour it over chebab and khameer, mix it with tahini for dipping bread, and use it in sweets like luqaimat. Making it at home takes time but little effort, and a kilo of dates gives a jar that lasts for months in the fridge. The mistake is boiling the strained juice too hard at the end: it scorches and turns bitter. Chef's tip: squeeze the date pulp in the cloth when it is still warm; you get far more juice than from cold pulp.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb soft datespitted
- 2 litres water
- 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb soft dates and 2 litres water in a large pot, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring now and then, until the dates have completely broken down.
60 minStep 2: Mash well with a potato masher and leave to cool for 20 minutes, until you can handle it.
20 minStep 3: Line a sieve with muslin or a clean thin cloth over a large bowl. Ladle in the pulp, then gather the cloth and twist and squeeze firmly to press out as much brown juice as you can. Discard the pulp or use it in baking.
10 minStep 4: Pour the juice into a clean wide pan and simmer over a low-medium heat, uncovered, for 60–90 minutes, stirring more often as it thickens, until it has reduced to about a quarter and coats the back of a spoon in a thick, dark layer. It thickens more as it cools. Stir in 1 tsp lemon juice if using, to help stop it crystallising.
80 minStep 5: Pour into a sterilised jar while warm. Cool, seal and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 80 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dibs take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
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