Judean date palm 2005, before knowing the gender of the palm tree, Dr. Solowey was hoping that it would turn out to be female, for which there was a 50% chance, because that would have allowed it to give fruit; on the contrary, "if it's a male, it will just be a curiosity." Methuselah flowered in March 2011 and is male. As of 2012, there were tentative plans to crossbreed the palm with what was considered its closest extant relative, the Hayani date from Egypt, to generate fruit by 2022. By 2015 Methuselah had produced pollen that has been used successfully to pollinate
Palm wine the sap to prevent it from fermenting. "Neera", similar to fruit-juice products. is relatively rich in potassium. In India, palm wine or toddy is served as either "neera" or "pathaneer" (a sweet, non-alcoholic beverage derived from fresh sap) or "kallu" (a sour beverage made from fermented sap, but not as strong as wine). Palm sap contains natural yeasts, which perform the fermentation of glucose to alcohol, as well as acetobacter, which subsequently converts the alcohol to acetic acid (vinegar). Optimal consumption time is one day after tapping, when the vinegar content is minimal; beyond this time, it becomes increasingly sour.