the fruit of the date palm is a drupe known as a date. They are oval-cylindrical, 3-7 cm long, and 2-3 cm diameter, and when unripe, range from bright red to bright yellow in color, depending on variety. A 100 gram portion of fresh dates is a premium source of vitamin c and supplies 230 kcal of energy. Since dates contain relatively little water, they do not become much more concentrated upon drying, although the vitamin c disappears in the process.