Jujubes or Red Dates are a naturally sweet wrinkled red fruit with many surprising health benefits. Asian cultures have been boiling and making tea with these impressive little fruits for centuries and enjoying the health benefits and comforting taste. Jujube tea is good for blood circulation, period cramps and because of its high concentration of vitamin C and other antioxidants, it also encourages a beautiful complexion. A wonderful caffeine free beverage, it is so comforting to drink in the morning. You really feel like it is hydrating and nourishing you from the inside out. And not to mention the naturally sweet, caramel-y, earthy flavor - it tastes so good it does not require any sweetener! This will not surprise you when you find that while boiling this unique tea, your entire house will smell like sweet caramel popcorn. I love jujube tea, give it a try and experience one of the most comforting, nourishing drinks you have ever tasted.
You will find that this recipe is quite forgiving. You can boil the dates for 2 or up to 8 hours (though I would not go more than 8) Personally, I like to boil mine for about 4 hours because it really extracts all the nutrients from the dates and gives you a stronger tea, but it's short enough that where if you are impatient like me, you can enjoy it sooner! The naturally sweet flavor of this tea welcomes many additions like ginger, cinnamon sticks or even chrysanthemum flowers! All of which impart their own unique flavors and health benefits. To mine I added one knob of fresh ginger root sliced, 1 cinnamon stick and because I had them on hand, a handful of goji berries - which I was delighted to see, ended up turning a bright pretty orange after boiling! All of these things can be found at your local asian market - or even better can be ordered organic online on Amazon!
Jujube Tea Ginger Tea ! A comforting, naturally sweet, caffeine free alternative for your morning hot drink. It is sweet, caramel-y, faintly spicy and so incredibly comforting. I promise you will want to make this every week after you try your first sip.
Combine all ingredients in a pot or dutch oven, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the temperature and leave to simmer for at least 1 hour - though I like to boil mine for about four. Enough time to extract the nutrients, but short enough to enjoy it sooner. The longer you simmer, the more nutrients and flavor are extracted from the dates. Don't simmer for longer than 8 hours.
It will smell super sweet and you will be left with this lovely orange colored tea.
Through a fine mesh sieve, strain the contents into another pot. Use the back of a wooden spoon to push every bit of liquid through the sieve and into the pot. The dates should be soft and burst open easily.
Pour into your favorite mug, and enjoy this comforting healthy drink!
