How do you tell sulfur-fumigated jujubes apart? Remember these three steps: one look, two peel, three taste

Summary: How do you tell sulfur-fumigated jujubes apart? Just three steps: "one look, two peel, three taste."

At present, the Xinzheng jujubes and Shanxi red jujubes have all been harvested, and the jujubes of southern Xinjiang have also entered the harvest season. Jujubes at this time of year are truly seasonal things. Since ancient times, red jujubes have been indispensable in the diets of pregnant women and women in confinement, which shows their considerable nourishing effect. Dried red jujubes are also a very good choice as a snack. So how do you normally distinguish jujubes that have been fumigated with sulfur, and how do you choose when buying red jujubes?

Why do some unscrupulous traders carry out sulfur fumigation?

After the jujubes ripen, the jujube farmers pick them and sort the jujubes into different grades of varying quality. Generally, the large jujubes with plump fruit are sorted into one class, while the smaller ones with a poor appearance are sorted into class two or class three. Those that are insect-damaged, moldy or have rotten skin are considered rejects. Jujube traders purchase them at different prices according to class one, class two and class three. After returning to the factory, they go through detailed sorting and packaging before being put on the market. Low-grade red jujubes are small. In particular, the red jujubes of southern Xinjiang are naturally air-dried on the trees after being exposed to wind and sun. The folds of these jujubes are full of sand and soil, and they are dark and grimy. In order to give these jujubes a good appearance, traders subject the low-grade jujubes to sulfur treatment. Jujubes treated with sulfur have a smooth surface, just like waxed ones, and look so good you want to take a bite. Such jujubes naturally have a much better appearance and are naturally welcomed by the market.

The harm of sulfur-fumigated jujubes.

Sulfur-fumigated jujubes not only destroy the nutrients of the jujubes themselves, but also damage the vitamins, calcium and other components inside the jujubes. In addition, some residual hydrogen sulfide, lead and arsenic that are harmful to the human body remain. They have a relatively strong irritating effect on the human stomach and intestines. If the residue is relatively high, it may even cause headache, fatigue, vomiting and other central nervous system symptoms. The residual heavy metals will also cause a certain degree of damage to the human kidneys and liver. Overall, sulfur-fumigated jujubes have many harmful effects.

How do you tell sulfur-fumigated jujubes apart? Overall, it can be divided into "one look, two peel, three taste."

One look: mainly look at the appearance and color. Jujubes whose surface is smooth as if waxed are definitely not normally ripened jujubes. Normal red jujubes have many wrinkles in color, like wrinkles that have been through wind and frost after being exposed to wind and sun. In addition, look at the color. Since sulfur has a bleaching effect, if the jujubes are bright red, they have been fumigated, while those that are dark red with uneven color are normal jujubes.

Two peel: as the name suggests, peel them open and look. After a normal jujube is peeled open, the color gradually deepens from the outer skin to the pit, slowly increasing from light yellow to deep yellow, and the part close to the pit may even be as dark as the pit itself. This is a normal, well-ripened good fruit. Fruit that has been fumigated with sulfur naturally has the color of fruit after bleaching, and looks whitish.

Three taste: only practice leads to true knowledge. If the taste is sourish, it is undoubtedly a fumigated fruit. If the taste is sweet, soft and glutinous like pastry, with firm flesh, and when you take a bite your teeth can even sense the sweet juice and it is full of fragrance, then this kind of fruit is genuine beyond doubt.

How do you tell good jujubes apart when buying jujubes?

Authentic Xinjiang jujubes are roughly divided into two types: grey jujubes and jun jujubes. Grey jujubes are small, with firm flesh and a relatively good taste. Jun jujubes are large; before air-drying, a jun jujube is as big as an egg, and after air-drying, a class-one jun jujube is not much smaller than an egg. Because Xinjiang has strong wind and sand, the fruit is naturally air-dried on the trees, and after picking it looks as if it has been dug out of the soil. Moreover, most Xinjiang jujubes are purchased by the local Xinjiang Corps, so being able to eat truly authentic Xinjiang jujubes is not easy either. When buying jujubes, the more brightly colored ones should be avoided all the more. Choose the dark, grimy ones. After breaking them open, the flesh forms threads, the color is light outside and dark inside, and the flesh is firm and resilient, with a delicate, sweet taste. Only jujubes like these are truly top-grade jujubes.

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