Full List of Fruits Indian jujube
Introduction of Indian jujubeNutritional Value of Indian jujubeUses of Indian jujubeHealth Benefits of Indian jujubeHarvestingPropagation
Indian jujube
Scientific name - Ziziphus mauritiana
Indian jujube with its scientific name being Ziziphus mauritiana, it is a spiny, evergreen shrub. This small tree is up to 15 m high, with trunk 40 cm or more in diameter. Coming to the figural aspects of the tree, they have stipule spines, spreading crown and countless drooping branches. The shape and size of the fruit is indefinite. Based on the variety of the fruit, it can be oval, oblong, and obovate or round which can be 1-2.5 in (2.5-6.25 cm) long. With a pleasant aroma, the flesh of the fruit is white and crisp while being smooth, glossy, slender but rigid. It is quite juicy when they are not fully ripe.
This medium sized tree grows dynamically and has a quickly developing taproot, an essential alteration to drought conditions.
Nutritional Value of Indian jujube
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 24.76 kJ (5.92 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 17 g |
| Sugars | 5.4-10.5 g |
| Dietary fibre | 0.60 g |
| Fat | 0.07 g |
| Protein | 0.8 g |
| Vitamins | |
| Thiamine (B1) | (2%) 0.022 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | (2%) 0.029 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | (5%) 0.78 mg |
| Trace metals | |
| Calcium | (3%) 25.6 mg |
| Iron | (8%) 1.1 mg |
| Phosphorus | (4%) 26.8 mg |
| Other constituents | |
| Water | 81.6-83.0 g |
Rich in vitamin C, the fruit is eaten raw. This nutritious fruit is also pickled or used in beverages. Much higher than apples or citrus, they are second only to guava. Fruits those are under ripe are candied by a process of pricking and immersed in salt solution. On the other hand, ripe fruits are sun-dried and preserved in a powder form for out-of-season uses. The fruits of Indian jujubes contain 20 to 30% sugar, up to 2.5% protein and 12.8% carbohydrates. Fruits are best consumed in other forms, such as dried, candied, pickled, as juice, or as per butter.
Health Benefits of Indian jujube
As soon as the plants of Z. mauritiana reach a height of 1 meter, they are capable of seed production. For the same plants to grow this height in Northern Australia, it may take just about 8 years. The seedling trees bear 5,000 to 10,000 small fruits per year. In order to enhance the yield and fruit size, special cultural treatments are also available. The fruits that are full matured are picked directly from the tree. In order to avoid fermentation, they are transported in open bags.
Breeding is most commonly from seed, where pretreatment is of assistance. In order to perk up germination, the seeds are stored for a period of 4 months to let it after-ripen. There is one factor that hinders and restricts germination; it is its hard stone. Even with cracking of the shell or extraction of seeds, germination accelerates.
