My Xu Thou (received and planted this March) has fruits that are ripening. So far I’m pleased with them in a less than optimal state. We’ve had a very dry year and they have been watered as much as daily and they seem to split easily. The splits are invitations to those tiny black pollinator ants to move in and set up a take out restaurant. So far though the taste has been pretty good, sweet, crunchy. My autumn beauty was very good also with a small sampling from first year tree.
I was trying to figure out today why the taste is different. It starts out like a typical thick Sherwood type jujube, then you taste the sweetness, and then there is a tiny amount of flavor I can’t identify, and a small amount of acidity, not like Chico where the sourness is obvious, but very subtle. It’s just different.
main reason why i have a more accepting stance towards other cultivars(as well as other species of fruits), which i don’t particularly like, because there will be others who actually like them them more than i do.
the best thing for anyone to do is to try as many cultivars and find out for one’s self which one likes best, and which will be productive in one’s area.
and which fruits are not compromised by weather extremes and local growing conditions.
I have never tried a jujube, but thought of buying a couple trees to see if me or someone in my family likes them. Seems HJ is the best, but what other would give me a different taste. My family would only eat them fresh, and most like a crisp taste. Two of my adult sons like their peaches crunchy. EL currently has Honey Jar, sugarcane, So, tigertooth and Shanxi Li. Which would be the best second variety. I live in southeast Texas, rainfall about 55 inches a year.
I have Honey Jar and love it. Li is good and a bit bigger but taste is not as crisp as HJ. Everyone seems to really like Autumn Beauty. I bought one this year and it was good as a very small, young tree. I’m looking forward to it maturing. One of my favorites is Chico that has a different sweet/tart taste. Some describe it more like an apple. I really think sweet but lemony and crisp. Chico has some big thorns though…
i agree with what everyone posted here @garybeaumont, but will definitely defer to @Bhawkins and @k8tpayaso 's inputs since they are your fellow texans.
here in vegas, sihong and chico are two of our perennial faves. Li is also hard to beat when ripened in late sept to november.
I agree with all the varieties listed above; Li, Chico, Shihong, Autumn Beauty. For sources, also consider Just Fruits & Exotics, Burnt Ridge, & there’s probably a Dave Wilson retailer in Houston.