Once upon a time, there was a big, bushy jujube tree in our backyard. Its gnarled trunk looked ancient and no one knew who planted it in the dark, sunless corner where it stood. Every year, it bore fruit – terribly sour drupes which the neighborhood children gobbled with a relish I could not understand. My first bite into one of its finest and ripest fruits was also my last – I was happy to stay away from (raw) jujubes after that first disastrous bite. Besides, that jujube tree (allegedly) nested ghosts! Their eyes flickered in the darkness as evening fell. I avoided looking through the living room window for fear of spotting the undead! But I hardly ever missed their emerald-green eyes glowing tirelessly in the dark. To me, they were not harmless fireflies but wrathful ghosts who drank the blood of little children. Needless to say, I was not comfortable in the company of ghosts – real or imaginary! So, I stayed as far away from that damned jujube tree as I could. All my pleas for its destruction fell into deaf adult ears! For all the world (BUT me), it seemed, was passionate jujube lovers!! My bad.

Come Spring, my mother would prepare jujube pickle – a spicy-sweet-tangy concoction with sun-dried jujubes and sugarcane jaggery. I only promised to stay away from the raw drupes; I loved the pickle. 'The ghosts will possess you if you eat their favorite jujubes,' my grandmother would tease me. 'But I'm not eating the raw drupes,' I'd argue. 'Besides, these have been dried for days. Those ghosts up there love only the raw green ones – isn't it?' 'Who knows?' my grandmother would make a face. 'They may as well love pickled jujubes for a change…' Then she was quick to add, 'but may be not – ghosts love raw stuffs. I think they won't find the pickle interesting enough.' That pleased me beyond measure but I could not ignore the possibility of bumping into a ghost who loved pickled jujubes. As a precaution, I'd sit with my tiny bowlful only in the daytime when the ghosts (I presumed) silently snored away in their arboreal home.

Over the years, my love for the jujube pickle has only intensified – with a small but significant development. I reach for the fat pickle jar whenever I've a craving which is to say, I no longer pay any heed to the waking or sleeping hours of my erstwhile tormentors. Let them wake up from their sleep or develop a taste for pickled drupes or ripe mangoes or curried fish or pepperoni pizza or whatever. WHATEVER.

I am even willing to share my pickled jujubes with a friendly ghost should there be one with a taste for pickled jujubes and should h/she be forthcoming enough

Meanwhile, here's a recipe for the not-so-forthcoming ones & the DIY-lovers (besides, for all those who may care for pickled jujubes):

You'll need the following:

*1 kilo ripe and sun-dried jujubes (wash and dry the fruits thoroughly; lightly squeeze each fruit to check for insects [discard the bad fruits]; salt the fruits lightly and dry them in the sun for about 2-5 days)

*800 gms sugarcane jaggery

*2 tbsp roasted fennel seeds (coarsely ground)

*1 tbsp (or according to preference) roasted dry red chilies (coarsely ground)

*Salt to taste

In a heavy-bottomed wok, melt the jaggery and bring it to a boil. Keep stirring. Once it reaches a 1-thread consistency, add the sun-dried jujubes. Mix thoroughly over a high flame. Add the ground spices and salt to taste. Give a final stir and turn the stove off.

Store the pickled jujubes in sterilized glass jars and cure them in sunlight for 4-5 days.

Seal the jars tightly and store in a cool, dry place. Keeps for months if you are good at dodging temptations

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