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Post by SA Hunter on Aug 14, 2020 17:47:19 GMT 10
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fei
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Post by fei on Aug 14, 2020 19:26:00 GMT 10
Jujubes are one of my favourite fruits, didn't realise they were available in Aus though. Tasty little buggers, but had to visit the dentist today after biting a seed and thinking I'd broken a tooth.
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Post by spinifex on Aug 15, 2020 8:44:02 GMT 10
I agree. They are a damn fine fresh fruit. And they keep well for ages as a semi-dried 'date'.
They are hard to get hold of here. I've got a tree growing at home that I got as a root-sucker from a mate. Also trying to get some going from seed that SAH gave me but not confident that it will work. If it does, we'll both be able to get a few more planted out.
UPDATE: Just checked the germination bags and 4 seeds (they look like olive pips) have germinated! Planted them into small pots today. There are another 6 or so seeds still left in the germination bag so I'll gave them another couple of weeks of regular checking and see if any more start growing.
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Post by SA Hunter on Nov 23, 2020 19:24:54 GMT 10
UPDATE: I transplanted the seedling from Spinifex a few weeks ago - touch and go for a while, but there are now new shoots, so hopefully with some tlc it'll make it.
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dirtdiva
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Post by dirtdiva on Nov 23, 2020 20:55:19 GMT 10
A few years ago jujube was the new fad "super fruit" on the US market. The dried dates can run $20 a pound in health food stores here. The fad now seems to be elderberry.
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Post by SA Hunter on Nov 29, 2020 23:19:03 GMT 10
jujube going well - has almost doubled in size.
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Post by SA Hunter on Dec 30, 2020 23:28:41 GMT 10
My plant is going nuts, at least triple in height, and new leaves and shoots as well.
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Post by spinifex on Dec 31, 2020 13:47:00 GMT 10
Yeah, mine is growing like a weed too! It has set some fruit this year. I hope they hold and mature. I did hand pollination using a small, soft artist brush and that seems to have helped with set. Still flowering like crazy too!
My tree is now 5ft high with 2 main trunks and a diamater of about 3ft ... I reckon by the Autumn it will be at least 8ft.
What a cracker of a fruit tree!
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Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on Jan 6, 2021 8:10:17 GMT 10
I really enjoy the wild, tame versions of wild fruits and all we have here in the far north.. We have a nice selection in our homestead orchard as it were.. Have been adding to, replacing some old bushes, and expanding our numbers and fruit varieties.. I kind of harp on our zone 2, which can be harsh, but the things that thrive here seem to do quite well..
Interesting thing this fruit.. You are lucky it is hearty there.. Likely not so good in our zone 2...
It seems the potential for a lot of uses.. Flavored vinegars, sugars, dried fruit, hard and soft drinks.. You name it..
Has anyone done any work with commercial or home canning fruit ??
Like similar to canned plums, you name it.. How about a candied fruit for a fruit cake kind of filler ??
Facts, details, experience ??
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dirtdiva
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Post by dirtdiva on Jan 6, 2021 9:17:19 GMT 10
I really enjoy the wild, tame versions of wild fruits and all we have here in the far north.. We have a nice selection in our homestead orchard as it were.. Have been adding to, replacing some old bushes, and expanding our numbers and fruit varieties.. I kind of harp on our zone 2, which can be harsh, but the things that thrive here seem to do quite well.. Interesting thing this fruit.. You are lucky it is hearty there.. Likely not so good in our zone 2... It seems the potential for a lot of uses.. Flavored vinegars, sugars, dried fruit, hard and soft drinks.. You name it.. Has anyone done any work with commercial or home canning fruit ?? Like similar to canned plums, you name it.. How about a candied fruit for a fruit cake kind of filler ?? Facts, details, experience ?? My experiences with dried fruits have been apples (mostly rings), I dried elderberry this year for teas, I have also dried fruit leathers blueberry, strawberry, plum, and peach. I have made peach brandy and peach wine as well as blackberry. I dry figs for a fig stuffed Italian cookie that I make. As far as home canning I can peaches. I also can apple, peach and blackberry pie filling. I like to freeze blackberries, gooseberries and blueberries straight for baked goods ( cobblers and muffins). I use to home can lots of jams but not as many children around so what I do make I tend to use between layer cakes and sometimes thumbprint cookies. I can grape juice every year and add it to water as a natural flavoring. I have also home canned citrus. |
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Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on Jan 7, 2021 8:43:42 GMT 10
Has anyone done any work with commercial or home canning fruit ??
++
I guess I was thinking about how to use, can, dry, or other methods and products to use jujube for home purposes.. It appears a seemingly quite versatile fruit with many possible uses and even left of pulp for critter feed or compost.. Your quite lucky for having that product available..
DD... You must be zone 6 or better, maybe you could try jujube.. If it can be brought into the US...
- - - - -
We slice, dry, grind, can a ton or more apples each year for critter food.. Less than 1/10 of a percent of local apples are table or any people use quality.. We do get wonderful fruit from the lower province via the "Caribou Express" transport system and barter with people we know.. The Caribou Express is a system of transport that if someone is making a trip to the upper or lower province they put out the word for anyone with anything to send.. Essentially a favor for favor, barter, a little fuel money exchange way among friends and neighbors to move small things.. We always have books ready to send to shelves in different areas..
We also enjoy a number of local, wild and tame, fruits.... The biggest problem is competition from bears... Even to the point of having to haze them out of our yard.... More than one bear has transitioned from our crab apple tree to freezer... in season...
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bug
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Post by bug on Jan 7, 2021 8:53:50 GMT 10
Jujubes are one of my favourite fruits, didn't realise they were available in Aus though. Tasty little buggers, but had to visit the dentist today after biting a seed and thinking I'd broken a tooth. Growing asian fruits is big business now. Nobody wants to import 'fresh' fruit from overseas. The range of stuff you can get now has expanded massively, particularly as I live in an asian area of Melbourne. |
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dirtdiva
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Post by dirtdiva on Jan 7, 2021 9:08:30 GMT 10
Has anyone done any work with commercial or home canning fruit ?? ++ I guess I was thinking about how to use, can, dry, or other methods and products to use jujube for home purposes.. It appears a seemingly quite versatile fruit with many possible uses and even left of pulp for critter feed or compost.. Your quite lucky for having that product available.. DD... You must be zone 6 or better, maybe you could try jujube.. If it can be brought into the US... - - - - - We slice, dry, grind, can a ton or more apples each year for critter food.. Less than 1/10 of a percent of local apples are table or any people use quality.. We do get wonderful fruit from the lower province via the "Caribou Express" transport system and barter with people we know.. The Caribou Express is a system of transport that if someone is making a trip to the upper or lower province they put out the word for anyone with anything to send.. Essentially a favor for favor, barter, a little fuel money exchange way among friends and neighbors to move small things.. We always have books ready to send to shelves in different areas.. We also enjoy a number of local, wild and tame, fruits.... The biggest problem is competition from bears... Even to the point of having to haze them out of our yard.... More than one bear has transitioned from our crab apple tree to freezer... in season... What is jujube fruit similar to? Size, flesh consistency etc. Just looking at the pictures maybe a cherry. I have never tried. I am in 6b/7a. As for fruit I have transitioned to as many native fruits as I can. Apple trees grow here but struggle with late frosts at 2000 ft above sea level on top of a plateau. Pear trees grow better but fire blight can be a problem in areas. Peaches and almonds struggle with borers. While bears can be a problem in our area I have been fortunate not to have too much on my property. Wild boar also are a problem here but strong fences have deterred them so far. I also run 2 big dogs. Pawpaw, juneberry/saskatoon, Cornelian cherry, native plum, mulberry and muscadine are all native and have done well for me so far. I might have to try a couple jujube bushes  I see them sold as dried fruit. How have you tried preserving them so far?? |
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Post by spinifex on Jan 9, 2021 13:33:02 GMT 10
Fresh, ripe jujube are like a very firm, very sweet apple.
As they continue to mature and dry out on the tree, the fruit become even sweeter and end up like the consistency of semi-dried apple but sweet like a date. Develops nice caramel type flavours.
I've not tried fruit that have been picked and stored for any length of time. We tend to just eat them all off the tree.
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Post by spinifex on Jan 9, 2021 13:34:11 GMT 10
The largest fruits on my tree are now the size of small olives.
So far ... so good!
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Post by Stealth on Jan 9, 2021 18:28:50 GMT 10
I think I might have to get my family growing some of those, they sound delish!
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Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on Jan 14, 2021 12:16:25 GMT 10
I was ..... was..... quite excited about finding out about this fruit... However.. The 2 things that set back any thought of growing my own was, we are zone 2.... And most everything I have read say they are invasive... Another invasive is the last thing I need in the bush here..
Will settle myself to just look in a couple local groceries that have quite extensive international sections..
If they work for you ... Enjoy... I'm going to pass on growing my own...
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Post by spinifex on Jan 14, 2021 18:14:19 GMT 10
I think its the Indian variety that's invasive. It takes some real effort to get these Chinese ones to replicate!
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Post by spinifex on Jan 15, 2021 8:34:34 GMT 10
The fruit on my tree is now filling out quite nicely.
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Post by spinifex on Jan 15, 2021 8:39:51 GMT 10
This report has some really good info on how they grow them commercially in China. Relevant part starts page 18. Worth noting: The Chinese jujube grows best in a warm sunny location. Trees thrive without any special care if they are given adequate heat and sun (CRFG 1996). The Chinese jujube grows best in climates with a long, hot, dry summer after adequate rain early in the season, with cool temperatures during its dormancy (AgriFutures 2017). It requires average daily temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius (°C) for fruit set. Fruit development requires average daily temperatures over 24–25 °C www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/final-report-chinese-jujube-fruit-china_0.pdf |
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Jul 7, 2024 11:02:41 GMT 10
Jul 7, 2024 11:02:41 GMT 10
I see them sold as dried fruit. How have you tried preserving them so far??