Dali Golden Thread Candied Jujube

Dali Golden Thread Candied Jujube

　　Golden Thread Candied Jujube is made from high-quality fresh jujubes produced in Dali, which feature small pits and thick, juicy flesh. The candied jujubes are crystal-clear in color, soft yet chewy in texture, sweet and pleasant to the taste, and have a rich candied aroma.

　　Production process: selection → grading → washing → scoring → sulfur fumigation → rinsing → sugar boiling → sugar soaking → initial drying → shaping → re-drying → grading → packaging.

　　Main technical points:

　　① Selection. Choose varieties that are large, have small pits, thick flesh, and thin skins. Fruits should be harvested during the white-mature stage, and any fruits that are diseased, pest-infested, or damaged should be removed.

　　② Grading. Sort the fruits into three grades: large, medium, and small.

　　③ Washing. Wash the fresh fruits thoroughly with clean water.

　　④ Scoring. Score the jujubes using a scoring machine or tool. The scoring lines should be even, spaced about 1 mm apart, with 50–80 lines per fruit, each cut reaching one-third of the flesh’s thickness. Score from one end to the other without back-and-forth random cuts. Try to score as close to both ends of the jujube as possible.

　　⑤ Sulfur fumigation. Place the scored jujubes in a sulfur fumigation room and fumigate with 0.4% of the weight of the jujubes in sulfur for 2–3 hours, until the outer skin turns light yellow. Alternatively, soak in a 0.5%–0.8% sodium bisulfite solution for 7–10 hours as a substitute for fumigation.

　　⑥ Rinsing. Rinse the sulfur-fumigated jujubes once with clean water.

　　⑦ Sugar boiling. Put 50–60 kg of sulfur-fumigated jujubes into a stainless-steel pot containing a 50% sugar syrup, using enough syrup to fully submerge the jujubes. Add pre-dissolved sodium bisulfite and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add 2.5 kg of cold 50% sugar syrup, then maintain low heat. When it boils again, add another 2.5 kg of cold 50% sugar syrup. Repeat this process three times. When the jujubes become soft, add granulated sugar in six portions: for the first three additions, add 2.5 kg sugar and 1 kg of 50% cold sugar syrup each time; for the next three additions, add 10 kg sugar each time. After the final addition, boil for 10 minutes, then add 100 ml of 50% citric acid solution and continue boiling for another 10 minutes. The jujubes are ready when they become translucent and plump.

　　⑧ Soaking. Pour the jujubes along with the sugar syrup into a vat and let them soak for 48 hours to allow full absorption of the sugar.

　　⑨ Initial drying. Remove the soaked jujubes, drain them, and spread them evenly on bamboo jujube trays. Place them in a drying room and dry for about 12 hours—maintain a temperature of 55–65°C for the first 4 hours, 70–75°C for the middle 5 hours, and reduce to around 65°C for the final 4 hours. Remove the jujubes when their moisture content reaches 20%–25% and they are no longer sticky to the touch.

　　⑩ Shaping. While still warm, shape the jujubes into flat, round forms.

　　(11) Re-drying. Place the jujube trays back into the drying room for another 24 hours or so at a temperature of 65–70°C. Remove them when the moisture content is 16%–19% and allow to cool.

　　(12) Grading. Grade the finished product into four levels (Grade 1: 50–70 pieces/kg, Grade 2: 90–110 pieces/kg, Grade 3: 130–150 pieces/kg, Grade 4: 160–190 pieces/kg).

　　(13) Packaging. Package in polyethylene plastic food bags.

　　As Golden Thread Candied Jujube has an extremely high sugar content, it should be consumed with caution by individuals with diabetes.