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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. ...

Cacti Flowers in Arizona

The rather spiky cactus is closely associated with Arizona and our desert landscape. Late April and early May are blessed with cacti flowers that dot the desert with color. From small landscaping cacti to the towering saguaro , blooms in many colors adorn the desert and residential landscapes around Phoenix. Many homeowners use slow-growing cacti as landscaping around the home. A single cactus plant needs very little water, can easily handle our 100 degree days, and in general, needs almost zero care. Each spring, they will burst into bloom and brighten a front or back yard. The size of the cactus plant doesn't determine whether or not they will bloom. Some cacti stay very tiny for their entire lives while others tower many feet tall. This tiny cactus easily grows in a pot and displays a ring of beautiful pink flowers each spring. This cactus is really only the size of a grapefruit yet blooms year after year never really getting not...

Winter Birds and the Peace of Nature

Most people who love nature have their favorite haunts around their home. A place to escape for an hour or two close to home perhaps for a relaxing walk or to regain a few moments of peace. Recent events have strengthened the pull of nature for me so I carved out a few hours one morning last week for a little time with some friends. I have a few favorite locations around my home. I tried my local riparian preserve but so many people had the same idea as I did that it was rather full and the paths were packed with people. Not exactly my idea of gaining peace in nature so I quickly moved on. There is a man-made lake not far from the preserve and I decided to head there. To my delight, it was almost deserted and for most of my visit, I found myself alone with the birds. As I talked about in another post, about the winter birds returning and I was pleased to see a few birds that I have not seen all summer. The egrets were back in force...

AZ Nature In Focus

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