| Chinese poets spoke about the wonderful | | | | centered around a core that contains two |
| jujube in 600 BC. The fruit of the jujube has | | | | seeds. The pulp is sweet, soft, and yellow in |
| been used in ancient Chinese medicine for | | | | color, with some cultivars being white when |
| many nutritional remedies for 2500 years. | | | | ripe. |
| Jujubes were used by Gerard in Europe as a | | | | |
| medicinal herb in the 1600's to treat | | | | After being cured-out and dried, the jujube |
| ailments of the kidneys, lungs, and liver. | | | | shrivels up into a wrinkled delicacy. The |
| | | | fruit is commonly treated similar to raisin |
| The Chinese jujube was brought to America by | | | | production to preserve for consumption at a |
| Oriental immigrants who built railroads in | | | | later time. |
| Arizona in the early 1900's. Hundreds of | | | | |
| grafted jujube cultivars are available in | | | | The jujube tree is prized for it's delicious |
| China, and a large number of these trees were | | | | tasting fruit, the bright-green waxy leaves, |
| imported by the USDA in 1908 and planted at | | | | and the fascinating silhouette of the tree. |
| the Experiment Station at Tifton, Georgia, | | | | The leaves turn bright yellow before they |
| for testing, according to Otis Woodard. | | | | shed after fall frosts. |
| | | | |
| Lowell F. Locke of the USDA in 1924 | | | | Jujube trees thrive in sandy, poor grade |
| introduced the improved jujube (Chinese Date) | | | | soils such as those found in the Southeast, |
| to the western U.S., where it was described | | | | and the trees easily flourish in dry |
| as "They have a delicious fruit with a smooth | | | | conditions; however, a little well-placed |
| brown skin and ivory fruit. You eat them skin | | | | fertilizer produces amazing results in a |
| and all. It was not firm as a peach, more | | | | short time. There are many species of jujube |
| like an apple. I made jams and jellies from | | | | that have found use all over the world, |
| them and also candied them." Locke described | | | | including the continents of Asia, Europe, and |
| the jujube as being cold hardy, late | | | | Africa. |
| flowering, and virtually frost proof. The | | | | |
| trees are well adapted to dry and sandy soils | | | | Arab nutritionists use the leaves of the |
| and will grow easily without requiring any | | | | jujube tree to kill worms and other parasites |
| special attention. | | | | that attack the intestinal tract and cause |
| | | | diarrhea. A jujube tree that is native to |
| The Chinese jujube is native to China, Japan, | | | | Spain, France, Italy, Syria, and Asia Minor |
| and much of Southeast Asia. The deciduous | | | | is similar to the Asian jujube and has been |
| tree grows to 25 feet tall, loaded with sharp | | | | used medicinally as a food item in Europe, |
| spines, until it ages and the spines fall off | | | | Asia Minor, and Africa. Jujubes were grown in |
| as the bark is formed. The yellow fragrant | | | | Algeria and eaten mostly by Algerian Jews in |
| flowers are small and they mature into | | | | the third century to celebrate New Years Eve. |
| reddish brown oval fruits a little larger | | | | |
| than an olive. New cultivars of improved | | | | The Chinese believed that eating the fruit |
| jujubes can grow as large as a plum and can | | | | from the jujube tree would improve a person's |
| be as a round or oval shaped, ripening to a | | | | stamina and strength, as well as an |
| reddish-brown color. The jujube fruit can be | | | | improvement in the function of the liver and |
| eaten fresh off the tree, even when there is | | | | the immune system. They believed that |
| much green color on the fruit with faint | | | | consumption of the jujube would mildly |
| reddish marks just developing. In dry | | | | tranquilize a person, act to fight allergies, |
| locations the fruit will ripen and dry up on | | | | and cause a person to gain weight. |
| the tree, but in the Southeastern United | | | | |
| States, where the humidity is high, the fruit | | | | Nutritionists have found that the fruit of |
| must be harvested when the color change | | | | the jujube tree contains beneficial |
| happens and dried in a cool room. | | | | concentrations of Vitamins A, B2, and C. The |
| | | | jujube also contains minerals necessary for |
| Some gardeners describe jujube as tasting | | | | health, such as phosphorus, calcium, and |
| like dates flavored with apples and | | | | iron. |
| chocolate. The pulp of the jujube fruit is | | | | |