SEEMA Cooks: Jujubes

When getting into the Easter mood, while gorging on a lot of eggs and chocolate, why not add some candy to the mix? Maybe some…jujubes?

Did you know that those delectable, chewy, fruit candies called jujubes are derived from jujube paste that comes from the jujube plant or fruit? This fruit is also sometimes referred to as jujuba or red dates. For those who are not sure what a jujube is, it’s those delicious candies or fruit-flavored gummies in a box synonymous with cinema treats. Jujube is mainly grown in China, although they are cultivated in Korea and India too. Jujubes have a distinct taste, and it can taste like different types of fruit. Some taste like mint or lime, while others have the undeniable flavor of lemon or cherry. That said, one of the most popular flavors for this type of candy is strawberry.

Jujubes resemble glass when it’s packaged. They are also usually round on the overall, and flat on the underside. So where was jujube candy originally discovered? Well, it was first made by the Heide Candy Company, but subsequently sold to The Hershey Company. These candies are currently made by the Ferrara Candy Company. The candies, due to its varying ownership, have therefore taken on several different types of looks throughout the years.

Besides chewing jujubes at the cinema with a bunch of other movie snacks, jujube can also be used to make tea. If you can’t find this tea type at your supermarket, no worries as you can simply make your own jujube tea. Here’s a little recipe on how to do so.

Jujube Tea

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of water
• Some jujubes

METHOD

1. Boil your water
2. Add the jujubes to the water
3. Continue to boil the mixture for over 10 minutes at least
4. Don’t forget to strain this sweet tea

Jujube Candies

INGREDIENTS

• Fine sugar to use as a coating. You may also use granulated sugar.
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2.5 cups of puree of your flavor choice
• About 2 ounces of gelatin

METHOD

1. Moisten a rectangular saucepan and knife with water.
2. Mix your sugar and gelatin thoroughly in the saucepan.
3. Add the puree with about 2/3 of the water necessary for this recipe.
4. Heat the stove on a medium-heat setting.
5. Place the mixture over this heat and continuously stir until everything has blended.
6. Boil your mixture, then cover it, still boiling, for a few more minutes.
7. Put the mixture in a new pan till it sets properly.
8. When the jujube candy mixture is set, empty the contents of the pan on greaseproof paper.
9. With the moist knife, cut using the candied molds you prefer.
10. Immerse the fruity candies in granulated sugar.

Strawberry Jujube Candy

INGREDIENTS

• 2.5 cups of strawberry puree
• At least 2 ounces of gelatin
• A cup of sugar
• For the covering, include ½ cup of fine sugar to dust the jujubes with

METHOD

1. Moisten a cookie cutter
2. Get a moistened pan. You may do this by sprinkling some water over the pan
3. Get a saucepan and meld your sugar with the sugar
4. Throw in your strawberry puree to the mixture, as well as some water
5. Stir constantly, until you see that there gelatin has been completely absorbed into the mixture.
6. Boil the mixture.
7. Take the moistened pan and pour your mixture in there.
8. Wait for the candies to set, before emptying the contents of the pan onto some parchment paper.
9. Take your cookie cutter and design the shape of them in the way you want.
10. Sprinkle some granulated sugar on the candies.

Gumdrop Cookies

It takes roughly an hour and 10 minutes to make and has about 60 calories.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 ounces of chopped jujube candies
• Water
• Dough
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• A cup of flour
• Some salt, preferably a pinch
• ¼ cup of coconut flour
• ¼ cup of sugar
• ½ cup of flour made with oats
• A tablespoon of EnerG
• A teaspoon of vanilla essence
• Baking blend, preferably a quarter cup
• Cream cheese, preferably the vegetarian type
• Margarine

METHOD

1. Take a significantly sized bowl, and place your margarine, sugar, baking blend, vanilla essence, and cream cheese in there.
2. Add your EnerG, baking soda, salt, various type of flours, and meld, all the while adding water so you can get a doughy consistency.
3. Add your jujubes.
4. Mold the mixture into the form of a rectangle or log.
5. Place the log in some plastic and then in the freezer for at least 60 minutes.
6. Put your heat on at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Get out a baking tray and place some grease proof paper on there.
8. It’s time to slice the log shaped cookie dough now into slices and place it on your baking sheet.
9. Note that this mixture is not the type to expand much, so you won’t have to place your cookie too far apart, in fear of it touching each other and sticking together when baking.
10. Bake this for about 10-11 minutes, until they are golden brown.
11. Place the cookies on a cooling rack.
12. Enjoy once cooled.

Jujube Drink

INGREDIENTS

• 3.5 oz dried jujube
• Some ice cubes for that refreshing taste
• Some cinnamon, preferably the stick variation
• Fresh ginger to taste
• At least 2 ½ cups of water
• 1 tbsp sugar

METHOD

1. Boil water in a saucepan.
2. Add your dried jujube fruit, plus your cinnamon and that aromatic ginger.
3. Boil the mixture. You should have nearly a cupful of liquid after this step.
4. Mash this mixture, before sieving it.
5. Add some more ginger to taste, as well as your sugar.
6. Blend the mixture.
7. Put the mixture through a strainer, add ice, and you’re ready for a drink!

Other Ways to Use Jujubes

You may want to use jujubes to make a jam, syrup or compote too. Or use it to make a lovely sweet dried fruit. Let’s have a look at dehydrating and preserving the jujubes, also known as making jujube dried fruit.

Dried Fruit Jujube Steps

1. Gather some jujube and a saucepan
2. Fill your saucepan with water and boil the water
3. Immerse the jujubes in the saucepan for just a few minutes, like say 3 minutes
4. Transfer the jujubes to another dish that’s filled with ice water and dip it in there
5. Your jujube skins will now simply crack open
6. The fact that the skins are cracked, makes it easier for it to dry
7. Take another mixing bowl and fill it with water and some lemon juice
8. Immerse the jujubes in this lemon juice mixture
9. Let the jujubes lay there for about 9 minutes, before removing
10. Get out a clean towel and arrange the jujubes on there, as this enables draining.
11. Take out a drying sheet
12. Use an oven or food dehydrator to dry your jujubes. Remember that it should dry at 140 degrees Fahrenheit
13. Don’t forget to keep turning them, as this ensures that they are being evenly dehydrated
14. You may have to dry your jujubes for up to 36 hours, although you can be done drying these in as little as 6.5 hours.
15. You’ll know when your jujubes are ready when the skin has a leathery appearance.
16. Note that the fruit should still be flexible and not too dried out.
17. You may now store the dried fruit in a glass container for up to a week and a half.
18. While storing, it’s always important to continuously shake the jar to ensure that the jujubes are drying proportionately.
19. Also keep ensuring that there are is no moisture forming on the jujubes.
20. If you feel that your candies don’t have an ounce of moisture and are properly dry, you may remove them from the glass container, and place it in a plastic one instead.
21. Always ensure that you are storing your dried candies in a dish that’s airtight.
22. You may also moisten your jujubes once you’ve dried it. To do so, simply get a container with warm water, immerse the jujubes in there for 60 minutes and watch the moisture return! Remember that when you re-moisten your candies, it’s a great addition to puddings!

The Health or Nutritional Benefits of Consuming Jujubes

• Consuming jujubes helps reduce insomnia. They comprise of good ingredients such as flavonoids and saponins. These help to relax you, as it helps calm your nervous system.
• It helps alleviate hypertension or irregular blood pressure levels. Reason being is that they contain a healthy amount of potassium, which is important for blood pressure maintenance. When you add just one jujube to your meals per day, you actually increase you add the necessary daily potassium intake to your diet.
• It’s good for your respiratory system. Jujubes are a good source for Vitamin C as well as Vitamin A. Did you know that drinking tea with licorice, jujubes, and ginger helps reduce the symptoms of a flu or cold?
• It’s great for stress relief. Did you know that Jujubes have a high level of anxiolytics? This helps ease nervous tension.
• They are good for your bone health too. This fruit has high levels of calcium and minerals fundamental for great bone health.
• It’s a great natural skincare treatment. The jujube fruit can be used topically to treat pigmentation problems, as well as acne and wrinkles. You can also use it to protect your skin from eczema, plus it helps blood circulation, which is great for your skin.
• It assists with weight loss. These candies have a lot of protein and fiber. Protein helps speed up your metabolism, which is great for weight loss. Jujube fruit is also low in calories, so if you consume these instead of eating with a high caloric intake you are bound to lose weight eventually. Also, consuming more foods with a low caloric intake, helps prevent food being stored as fat.

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