Jujubes!!
Thought I’d do a quickie here to talk about an interesting lil’ fruit I experienced for the the first time today…The Jujube! 
In traditional chinese medicine the jujube fruit is said to be a great tonic for the liver and kidneys and is an overall blood cleanser and can also calm nervousness, increase energy and stimulate appetite! The fruits are also mucilagenous and can help aleviate sore throats and cough…pretty handy for this time of year.
Jujube trees are a hardy shrublike plant with thorny branches and have a knack for surviving in various climates even arid regions as well as here in PA. With their long tap-root and various side shoots they make the most out of available water sources. They’re rarely bothered by pests and are conisidered quite easy to grow. A good addition to a backyard food garden or permaculture style food forest (which I can’t freakin’ wait to create when we get a piece of land to tinker with!) 
If I had to sum up the taste and texture of the jujube I’d say it seems to be what you’d get if an apple and a date humped. The apearance and slight taste of a date with an underlying texture and taste of an apple! Neat! At Sonnewalds natural foods in Spring Grove Pa (a freakin’ awesome health food store with tons of goodies for raw-fooders and others interested in good eating) they’re growing and selling them. We picked up a pint today after a free sample. Local, organic and interesting for a $1.25 a pint ….sweeeet! :0)
