Pitted vs Unpitted Dates: A Farmer’s Honest Take on Which to Buy

Quick answer: “pitted” means the pit has been removed. “Unpitted” (or “whole”) means the pit is still inside the date. The wording trips everyone up — English uses “pitted” the way it uses “seeded” and “skinned,” naming the thing that was taken out, not the thing that’s there. We grow dates for a living, so here is the honest comparison — including why our own fruit ships unpitted.

Does “pitted dates” mean no pits?

Yes — pitted dates have had the pit pushed or cut out before packing. One caveat from the processing world: mechanically pitted dates occasionally retain a pit or a fragment, which is why every bag of pitted dates carries a “may contain pits” warning. Whole dates don’t need the warning, because you know exactly where the pit is: in the middle, where it grew.

We grow these. Golden Zahidi Dates — Nutty, Less Sweet, Never Sticky | California Farm-Direct from our family farm in Sky Valley, California — from $15/lb, shipping included. See them →

Pitted vs unpitted: the real differences

	Pitted	Unpitted (whole)
Convenience	Ready for baking and blending	5 seconds of work per date
Moisture	Dries out faster — the slit lets moisture escape	Fruit stays sealed; stays soft longer
Shelf life	Shorter once opened	Longer — months refrigerated
Handling	More processing between palm and package	Less handling, fruit arrives as picked
Appearance	Slit or flattened	Plump and intact — the one for cheese boards
Price	Usually costs more per pound	Usually less — you’re not paying for a machine

Why we sell our dates whole

A date is a sealed package. The skin keeps moisture in and air out, which is most of why dates store as well as they do. The moment a pitting machine opens that seal, the clock speeds up: the fruit dries faster, and it has been through one more set of rollers between the palm and you. We pack our Medjool and Zahidi whole because it is the version of the fruit that arrives tasting the way it left the farm. That, plainly, is the whole reason.

How to pit a date in five seconds

Squeeze the date gently lengthwise, or make one cut down the side with a paring knife. The flesh opens, the pit lifts out clean — Medjool pits are large and release easily. For a batch (date paste, energy balls), slit a dozen at a time; it takes about a minute per cup.

When pitted is the right buy

Honestly: if you are blending dates by the pound into smoothies or processing big batches of date paste, pre-pitted saves real time and the moisture loss matters less because you are blending anyway. For eating out of hand, cheese boards, stuffing, or anything where the fruit itself is the point, whole fruit is better fruit.

Common questions

Do unpitted dates last longer than pitted?

Yes. The intact skin keeps moisture in, so whole dates stay soft longer at room temperature and in the fridge. See our date storage guide for the full numbers.

Are pitted and pitted-out the same thing?

Yes — both mean the pit was removed. “Whole,” “unpitted,” and “with pit” all mean the pit is still in.

Can you eat a date pit?

No — the pit is rock-hard and not edible as-is. Some people roast and grind them into a coffee-like drink, but that is a project, not a snack.

Our fruit ships whole, straight from the farm: California Medjool dates and golden Zahidi dates, 1–12 lb boxes with shipping included to the lower 48.