For no good reason
how I'm making the preserves of the season
Chinese dates, aka Jujubees
These arrived the past week from family in California. We have 3 large trees and lots of shoots coming up from the ground around them, kind-of the way pomegranates can grow a new "tree" from a root far from the main trunk.
At this point we eat as many of the more solid looking, not shriveled and not blemished as we possibly can. The we worry about how to keep the others for the year (or two or...). In the past we then take the rest and make jam out of them (might show you that some other time).
Last night, I dried some whole ones and for the first time painstakingly cut some off the seed as well. I set the oven to 175-degrees Fahrenheit the lowest possible.
The ones I cut off the seed were so so good! Kind-of like crispy sugar candies of some kind.
Last night, Fu and I finished all of the sliced ones and a few that were dried whole.
Today I wanted to make more for Mi so she can taste both when she gets back on Saturday.
I'll update this when they are finally dried (3-4 hrs later) but for now, here they are sorted, peeled and in the oven:
Okay, it took a bit longer, more like 5.5 hours but I think that is because my first batch was already drier and it was a small test batch.
These will last a year or two stored properly. Ok, here they are!
