Date Raisin Syrup

I had stumbled across a recipe for "date syrup" a while back, but the directions were sort of unclear. I decided to just give it a shot though and the results were great. This stuff tastes almost caramel-y..it would be really good on ice cream, or in oatmeal, or..on pretty much anything! Yum! I think its a great substitute for other natural sweeteners. (If you want to know what to do with the leftover fruit, check out my cranberry coconut protein bars!)

Date Raisin Syrup
1 cup medjool dates
1 cup raisins
3 cups water

Directions:
1. Put the medjool dates and raisins into a pot with the water and bring to a boil
2. Once boiling, simmer the fruit/ water mixture for about a half hour.
3. After the half hour remove from heat and strain the date meat and raisins out of the water. The best method for this is using a cheese cloth i think.
4. Return the water to the pot and simmer on low heat until it thickens, stirring regularly. For me it took about 45 minutes of low heat simmering for it to thicken to a good consistency.

Health Benefits!!
Dates- Contain Vitamin K, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, food Folate, Folic acid, as well as minerals such as Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc, Copper, and Manganese. They also contain awesome-for-you amino acids!
Raisins- Raisins are awesome for you! They contain a phytonutrient known as oleanolic acid, which helps promote good oral health by destroying the bacteria that causes cavities. They are high in iron, high fiber, and contain boron which allows other nutrients to be absorbed into the body.


Sources:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/4693-need-health-benefits-raisins/
http://www.medjooldates.com/faq-nutrition.asp