Buckthorn Family

Jujube

Jujube fruit trees were first domesticated in India about 11,000 years ago. Their natural range is uncertain because of long cultivation but may have extended from Syria to southern China. They belong to the Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae), a fairly large family but one yielding very few edibles.

The fruit is initially green but turns red when fully ripe and eventually shrivels. It is very light, almost foam like, moderately sweet. and apple-like in flavor. The photo shows fresh (top), dried (left) and candied (right). Fresh are about 1.7 inches long, 1.6 inches diameter and weigh just over 1 ounce.   Details and Cooking.

California Coffeeberry

This moderate size shrub (usually 3 to 6 feet tall) is native to many scrub and forest habitats in western California, extending into coastal Oregon and Baja California. It bears juicy fruit, ripening from green through red to black, about 3/8 inch long, containing two seeds that resemble coffee beans. The resemblance doesn't end there, as these seeds are considered an excellent non-caffeinated coffee substitute, said to have overtones of Mocha. The fruit can be made into jams and jellies, and was used by California Natives as both food and medicine.   Photo by Bri Weldon distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic.

Shiny-leaf Buckthorn

This srub is native to eastern Africa from Eritria and Ethiopia south into South Africa. In Eritria and Ethiopia, twigs and leaves are pounded to produce a bitter flavoring with antibacterial properties used in brewing local beers (Tella) and mead (Tej, Mase), similarly to how Hops are used in brewing European beer. The berries, which ripen from green through red to purple, are less than 1/4 inch diameter, but are edible. The main uses for this plant in much of its growing region are magical and medicinal.   Photo by Paul venter distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.

Raisin Tree

This fast growing tree is native to Eastern China, Korea, and as far south as Thailand (rare). The edible "raisins", eaten both raw and cooked, are not actually a fruit, but a short, swollen mature flower stalk or peduncle which supports the inedible seed pod. As the pod matures, the stem attaching it to the fruit cluster swells and turns a translucent reddish brown. A pear-like flavor develops as the sugars increase, and the peduncle is ready to eat when it falls to the ground. Although small, close to the size of raisins, the crop is large.

An extract from the seeds is used as a substitute for honey and used in candy and fruit wine. This tree is being considered as a reforestation tree to replace eucalyptus, which is toxic to other plants. The timber is also useful, where eucalyptus timber twists and is useful only as firewood.   Photo by My distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.

New Jersey Tea

Native to most of the eastern half of North America, leaves of this plant were used as a substitute for imported tea during the American Revolution. Today, all parts of the plant are used as herbal medicinals.   Photo by US Fish and Wildlife Service = public domain .