Key Points of Jujube Drying Processing Technology and Detailed Production Methods

(1) Process flow

Raw material selection → blanching → drying → packaging.

(2) Operating points

Selection of raw materials

Choose varieties with thin skin, thick and dense flesh, high sugar content, and small pits. Before drying red jujubes, generally only a simple sorting is needed, with no other treatment.

Blanching

First blanch the jujubes in boiling water for 5-10 min, cool immediately, then spread out to sun-dry, which can improve the quality of the dried jujubes.

Natural drying

Sun-drying red jujubes is relatively simple. Generally choose an open flat ground, lay mats or foil on the ground, and spread the jujubes directly in a thin layer on the mats. In some areas, a high, dry, sunny sandy plot is used as the drying yard, and the jujubes are spread directly on the sand. Each day at sunset, gather the jujubes into piles and cover them with reed mats; after sunrise the next day, spread them out again, and turn them several times around noon. In hot sunny weather, they can be dried in about 1 week.

Artificial drying

Loading capacity 12-15 kg/sq m; initial temperature 55°C, final temperature 65-75°C; drying time 24 h.

Packaging

Pick out broken jujubes, green jujubes, and insect-damaged jujubes, then package. Properly dried jujubes have a dark red skin color, golden yellow flesh, are elastic, have a moisture content of 25%-28%, and a drying ratio of 3:1-4:1.