Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk) belongs to the Rhamnaceae family and is also called as jujube. It grows in arid and semi-arid regions of India and there are 125 varieties of ber in India. The cultivars Umran, Kathapal and Gola are the most promising varieties of ber in North India. Although known for its rich taste and high nutritional value, ber is an under utilised fruit and is available only for a short period of time. Value addition is a great way to increase the shelf life of the product along with adding economic value to it. It is an effective to use the surplus and meet the demands during scarcity. In the following review different processing aspects of ber are discussed and ways in which we can utilise this under-appreciated fruit to its full potential. Products like jam, candy, preserve, powder, murabba, beverages, wine, pickle etc. can be prepared from ber. Apart from this ber is also used in traditional medicinal systems in India and other countries.
