Jujube is the fruit produced by the jujube plant , whose scientific name is Ziziphus jujuba . It is a small shrub of Asian origin, which over the centuries has spread to Mediterranean countries and Italy. Grown for its delicious fruits , but also suitable for cultivation as an ornamental plant, the jujube produces ovoid drupes, with a thin and smooth dark red skin, whose pulp has a compact and floury consistency, with a slightly acidic sweet taste , reminiscent of that of the apple.
Jujubes can be eaten fresh immediately after harvesting or they can be kept for a long time by drying or putting them in alcohol; they are also suitable for preparing jams and syrups , or as an ingredient for filling dry sweets and biscuits. The jujube fruit is also the main ingredient of the recipe for a particular liqueur, known as ” jujube broth “.
Biological and systematic taxonomy:
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rhamnales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Ziziphus
Species: Ziziphus jujuba
Common name: Common jujube.
BENEFICIAL PROPERTIES Of Jujubes
Jujubes are rich in vitamin C , therefore they help strengthen the immune system and prevent the ailments typical of the winter season. Thanks to the abundant dose of flavonoids and glucosides, they also regulate blood pressure ;SICKNESS,in addition to the concentration of anthraquinones, which gives these fruits discrete laxative properties.
Traditional Chinese medicine advised them as natural anti-inflammatories and digestives, more recently it has been found that they calm anxiety and are helpful in high blood pressure. Being rich in phosphorus and iron, jujubes assist blood circulation. It also appears that they enhance memory. They are made up of 81% water, 0.8% protein, 0.4% ash. They also contain 0.1% fat, 0.6% fiber, 5.8% sugar and carbohydrates. 110 grams of pulp equals 78 calories.
Jujubes can be eaten raw , both fresh and dried: one after the other, try it to believe it. They are also used for the preparation of syrups and jams and there are those who put them in risotto together with scamorza and chestnuts. Pitted and cut into chunks are the protagonists of various baked desserts , primarily biscuits, cupcakes and shortbreads (excellent pairing with yellow flour for polenta and corn flakes).
Propagation
Jujube can be multiplied in different ways, through: seed , cutting , division of suckers and grafting .
- Seed: the method of sowing presupposes the conservation of the seeds for three months in the heat and for another three months in the cold, immersed in damp sand. This stratification will allow the seed to germinate in the spring. Afterwards it will be necessary to insert the seeds in boxes placed in a cold greenhouse. To facilitate the exit of the first rootlet it is advisable to engrave the external integument. The germination usually occurs in the first or second spring, you will then need ripicchettare the seedlings in small pots to keep repaired during the first year. They can then be planted the following year, during the summer.
- Cutting: multiplying the jujube by cutting is quite simple; the apical cutting must be taken in winter, between the end of November and January. A portion of a twig about one year old is cut in correspondence with a bud. The leaves are removed at the bottom and the branch is inserted in a cold container with a very light substrate.
- Division: reproduction by division must be carried out during the winter, separating the basal shoots with a portion of root and planting them directly at home.
- Grafting: it is possible to graft at the beginning of spring, taking the newly sprouted buds and keeping them in the cold before proceeding with the grafting operation, taking care to seal everything with the appropriate mastic.
