Masala Herb

Flavorful Recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • TRAVEL
  • Contact
  • New? Start HERE!
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • RECIPES
  • Contact
  • New? Start Here!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are Here: Masala Herb » Recipes » Jams

    French Date Jam Recipe

    February 3, 2025 by Helene Dsouza Leave a Comment

    450 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Flip
    • Email
    • Share
    • Threads
    • Bluesky
    Helene Dsouza
    Make French date jam with just three ingredients! An easy recipe using traditional methods, perfect for beginner home jam makers.
    Total Time: 13 hours hours
    Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Macerating Time: 12 hours hours
    4 8 oz/230 ml jars
    RECIPE
    French Date Jam Recipe
    French Date Jam Recipe pin picture

    French-style date jam is one of the easiest jams to make, and it only takes three ingredients.

    I follow my families classic French jam-making method, and it turns out perfect every time.

    French Date Jam Recipe cover image
    Jump to:
    • TL;DR
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Process Overview
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Tips
    • Serving
    • Storing
    • More like this
    • 💬 Comments

    TL;DR

    Dates are most commonly sold dried, and therefore they are dehydrated fruits.

    Therefore, unlike the conventional method to turning fruits into a jam, we leave the fruits to macerate with sugar, water, and lemon overnight.

    Normally, we don't add water to jams because water reduces the shelf-life of a preserve. The exception are dried fruits such as dates, raisins, and apricots.

    The idea is to soften the dates and to help bring out all the flavors when they are cooked down to a jam.

    By the way, quality dates are a must if you want a tasty date jam!

    Cut dates look like candy
    Cut dates look like candy

    Ingredient Notes

    • Dates — Medjool dates are sweeter than other and have more flesh, but technically, you can use any date variety. Just make sure the dates are not too old or of poor quality. I use Safawi dates mixed with Medjool in the pictures.
    • Sugar — Plain sugar.
    • Water
    • Lime or Lemon Juice — Fresh, always. I used a lesser-known calamansi lime variety in the pictures (it's orange on the inside) which has some fruity floral notes.

    Tip: To get great dates, purchase your dates at the duty-free, if you fly a lot and end up transiting in one of the Arab countries. The ones that I used in the pictures are from the Doha International airport.

    Safawi Dates from Qatar
    Safawi Dates from Qatar
    ingredients to make date jam

    Process Overview

    Step 1

    Cut open your dates and discard the seed.

    Slice your dates and weigh them. Juice your lemon/lime.

    take out seed from the dates
    weigh cut dates
    cut lemon or lime into half and juice

    Step 2

    Add to your sliced dates the sugar, water and freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice, as well as the squeezed out lemon/lime halves.

    Mix everything well and leave to macerate overnight.

    place all date jam ingredients into a jam pan
    mix dates, with sugar and lemon/lime
    dates with ingredients after macerating 12 hours

    Step 3

    The next day, heat your jam cooking pan and bring your dates to a rolling boil.

    Keep on a lower heat setting and stir frequently. Cook for about 20 minutes.

    cook down date jam
    stir jam while cooking it down

    Step 4

    Take out the lemon halves and discard. Blend the jam to your desired consistency.

    take out lime halves from jam
    blend jam
    jam consistency

    Step 5

    Test if the jam is set with a thermometer (The setting temperature is 220 Fahrenheit/105 Celsius) and/or by dropping hot jam on an ice-cold plate.

    The jam is set if it doesn't run on the plate, and if it's not set, continue cooking down (but date jam always turns out thick).

    test if jam is set

    Step 6

    Pour jam into clean jars. Close jars tight, turn upside down to create a vacuum, and turn them back up when the jar is lukewarm.

    fill jar with jam
    turn jam jar upside down
    lemon date jam

    📖 Recipe

    French Date Jam Recipe

    French Date Jam Recipe

    Make French date jam with just three ingredients! An easy recipe using traditional methods, perfect for beginner home jam makers.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, DIY
    Cuisine: French
    Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Macerating Time: 12 hours hours
    Total Time: 13 hours hours
    Servings: 4 8 oz/230 ml jars
    Calories: 815kcal
    Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups Dates (compressed cup)
    • 2 Lemon or large Lime
    • 2 cups Sugar
    • 2 cups Water
    US - Metric

    Instructions

    • Cut open your dates and take out the seeds. Discard the seeds. Slice each date into smaller chunks and weigh them.
      4 cups Dates
    • Cut open lemon or lime, squeeze and collect the juice. Keep the lemon halves, you will need them.
      2 Lemon
    • Place sliced dates, lemon/lime juice, water, and sugar into a large jam cooking pan. Mix it all well.
      4 cups Dates, 2 cups Sugar, 2 cups Water, 2 Lemon
    • Leave to macerate (infuse) for about 12 hours or overnight so that the dates soften and infused with the lime and sugar.
    • The next day, take the heat to your stove top and keep over a medium heat setting until you get to a rolling boil.
    • Reduce the heat and keep over a lower heat setting to cook down the date jam. This takes about 20 minutes, and you will need to stir frequently so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the jam pan. The jam is done when it appears shiny and the fruits are cooked, sticky and thick.
    • Take your pan from the heat and remove the lemon halves to discard them.
    • Blend your jam with a hand blender to the desired consistency. It can be smooth or chunky, you get to decide.
    • Do a final test to see if the jam is set with a thermometer or with an ice-cold plate. In general, date jam will turn out thicker, so you won't really have to worry that much about the setting of the jam (setting = shelf life). The thermometer setting temperature is 220 Fahrenheit/105 Celsius and for the ice-cold plate, drop some hot jam on it and the jam will cool instantly, revealing its true consistency. Move around the plate, if it doesn't run, it's set. You can do both tests or either one.
    • Pack set jam into sterilized clean jam jars and fill up to the top. Close the jar with a lid and turn the hot jar upside down to create a vacuum in the jar (increases shelf life). Clean jars with you made a mess. The jars can be turned back upright once the jars are not that hot anymore.

    Notes

    800 grams or 4 cups compressed dates = 28.2 oz.
    Makes about 4×8oz/230 ml jam jars.
    Tip: In France, we pour a few drops of some liquor into the lid to kill remaining bacteria. This is optional, and you can use rum or vodka or distilled schnapps. The alcohol is then poured away, or you can drop it over your jam if you like.

    Equipment

    • Cutting Board
    • 3.5" Paring Knife
    • Kitchen Scale you need to weigh your dates to get the recipe right.
    • Jam Pan (copper) or large stainless-steel pan.
    • Long Handle Wooden Cooking Spoon
    • Hand Blender
    • Candy Thermometer to check setting of the jam.
    • 4 8 oz Canning Jars or 230 ml.
    • Silicone Spatula To help you scrape out all the jam from the pan.
    • Wettex Absorbent Sponge To clean jars if you made a mess.
    • Jam Labels

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    French Date Jam Recipe
    Amount Per Serving (230 g)
    Calories 815 Calories from Fat 9
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 1g2%
    Saturated Fat 0.1g1%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g
    Sodium 11mg0%
    Potassium 1041mg30%
    Carbohydrates 215g72%
    Fiber 13g52%
    Sugar 194g216%
    Protein 4g8%
    Vitamin A 27IU1%
    Vitamin C 29mg35%
    Calcium 76mg8%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Tips

    • In France, our jams are cooked in a large copper jam pan. Copper is a better heat transmitter, and the jams will cook better in it. Alternatively, we also use large stainless-steel pots.
    • Drop hot jam on a cold plate to test the setting. Keep a small quarter plate in your freezer before you start cooking your jam. If the jam is not running on the plate, it is ready, and you can put it in your jars.
    • Alternatively, the safest way to test your jam setting is with a candy thermometer. The setting temperature is 105 Celsius/220 Fahrenheit.
    • Use only clean jars. The best is to sterilize your jars and lids. This is important so that your French jam will last longer. Jam jars and lids can be sterilized by washing them in a high heat setting in your dishwasher, by boiling them in hot water or by heating them in the oven on a rack.
    • If you follow this recipe precisely and work in a clean environment, and store your jam in a dry, cool place away from direct sunlight, your date jam will last at least 10–12 months.
    • The shelf life will be greatly reduced if you change the ingredient quantities. Sugar is a main ingredient in preserving your jam and helps in preserving it.
    • If you skip adding sugar to your jam, eat your jam within days and in that case, reduce the quantity considerably.
    Date Jam

    Serving

    In Europe, we enjoy our homemade jams slathered over a slice of bread for breakfast, or we drop some jam in yogurt.

    This date jam is special because it can be used with all savory appetizers. For example, serve it up with a spice log of goat cheese or with your cheese board.

    We like to offer jams and chutneys at cookouts with grilled meats or with pan-fried meats and seafood. This date jam is a great addition.

    Jams are also used in cakes and pastries. This is a thicker jam, so think chewy bars and protein balls.

    I haven't tried it myself yet, but you can add a dollop of this date jam to your cooked oatmeal or porridge. I think it would taste wonderfully with Tibetan Tsampa porridge or Norwegian rice porridge.

    Jam of dates
    dried dates as a jam

    Storing

    Store your unopened date jam jars on a pantry shelf away from direct sunlight and humidity.

    They are good for 10–12 months (as per the French jam making method, without a water bath).

    You can do the FDA approved canning recommendations, by water bath canning your jam after you are done filling them with the date jam. This can add another layer of protection to your jam and it will extend the shelf-life.

    If you live in a humid, hot environment, keep the jars in an Air conditioned environment all the time or keep them in your refrigerator.

    Once you open the jar, always store in the fridge. Never double dip as this can cause mold growth and this habit is unhygienic.

    More like this

    • Fig Jam
    • Banana Jam
    • Vanilla Lime Pear Lime
    • Kumquat Marmalade
    • French Black Currant Jelly
    • Gooseberry Jam
    French Date Jam Recipe pin picture
    450 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Flip
    • Email
    • Share
    • Threads
    • Bluesky

    I am Helene, and I created Masala Herb in 2011. Here you will learn to cook with spices and herbs. I share from scratch, international food recipes and my mission is to teach you to cook flavorful food at home. Read More…

    MasalaHerb.com as seen on

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Welcome

    Hi there! I'm Helene and here you will learn how to cook with spices and herbs. Discover global food and learn to season your food like a pro. Read more about my work and mission or head over to my food ingredient space, Unknownbite.com, and our travel space, Paulmarina.com!

    More About Me ->








    Home
    About
    As seen in
    Contact
    Terms and Conditions
    Privacy Policy

    By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies.

    Masala Herb is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

    Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required