Uses For Jujubes - Red Dates

Uses For Jujubes - Red Dates

 Last week, I talked about the hungry sparrows feasting among my jujube trees.  Apparently many have not heard of a jujube or red date before and are curious what to do with them besides just eating them from the tree.  Just to recap in case you have not read my previous post, when mostly yellowish in color they taste a little like a dry apple.  They get sweeter as they turn a reddish color and as they turn completely red and start to wrinkle slightly, they are closer to a raisin or a date.  

No matter how you eat them, don't forget that there is a pit in the center.  I find that cutting them close to the pit around each side is the easiest way to rid the fruit of the pit.

The Varied Uses of Jujubes

The light green to yellow jujubes are easily shredded and used any time apples are called for.  I have used them in breads, muffins, and mixed with pear or apples for a fruit crisp when shredded right from the tree.   I have mixed them in pancake batter in shredded form and have added them to chicken dishes.  I have also cooked and then pureed the yellow jujubes.  The puree can be used in soups, casseroles, and also to substitute for applesauce in a recipe.  The pureed fruit can be frozen for winter use though the shredded fruit seems no to freeze overly well as it gets very liquidy.  If you wish to use shredded from the freezer, you would likely need to drain the fruit before use.

The darker varieties can be used in the same way the yellow jujube fruit in shredded or pureed form but it is far sweeter and the fruit is softer so shredded can sometimes end up being more of a chunky puree.  The reddish ones that have not started to wrinkle are typically relegated to sweets such as breads and muffins in my house.  The darker ones are also perfect to boil in water for tea.  I like to mix another fruit with the jujube for tea so if I have cranberries, I will tend to toss a handful in with the jujubes.  If using for tea, the jujubes can be frozen whole and then just pulled out to place in hot water to steep.

As I don't really care for raisins, I can't personally comment on other uses than off the tree for the fully red ones that have wrinkled. A quick search showed me that they are typically used in any recipe that calls for raisins such as stuffing or pairing with almonds in a dessert.  

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I hope that I have made you at least a little curious about this unique fruit.  With two trees in the yard, I have not had a need to buy jujubes in the store but I have seen them in specialty markets and see them most commonly in their dried form.  Depending on where you live, you can also scan Craigslist as someone, like myself, might have more jujubes than they know what to do with and offer some fresh online.  Never be afraid to try something new and with some basic information, you are free to experiment and come up with your own ideas and recipes for you and your family to enjoy.