Food

Food Information

Fruit

Deciduous

PLUMS

Plums are native to the Orient, Europe, and North America. While they date back hundreds of years, most of the ones we now enjoy are new improved varieties that have been introduced in the last four decades. There are countless documented varieties and new ones continually come on line.

Botanically the plum is a drupe and is related to the peach, nectarine, apricot, and almond. Plums come in assorted sizes, shapes, skin colors, and even flesh colors. Some varieties are slightly larger than a marble, others are much larger than a jumbo egg. They can be either round or oval in shape. There is a wide range of skin colors: green, yellow, orange, purple, every shade of red, and black. Most plums have a yellow-colored flesh, but a few varieties have a red flesh. Most are clingstone, but several are freestone.

Even with all this diversity of color, shape, and size, plums can be divided into two distinctively different groups that are known as European plums and Japanese plums.

The European varieties are usually, but not necessarily, freestone. They all have yellow flesh, but the thing that sets them apart is that they always have a purple skin (sometimes it looks almost blue if it has a lot of bloom).

The Japanese plums come in a wide range of colors but never have the telltale purple skin color. Most varieties are also yellow in flesh, but some have a bright red flesh. Unlike the European plums, which for the most part are freestone, most, but not all, of the Japanese varieties are clingstone. The Japanese plums are usually tastier and juicier than the European varieties. They are nearly always eaten out of hand or used as a fresh fruit, since they dissolve when cooked and are not suitable for drying in the sun to be marketed as dried fruit. The European plums have a milder flavor and a meatier texture. Some varieties are quite good when eaten out of hand, but most are at their best when cooked or baked. These are the only types that are sun-dried and sold as dried fruit.

The terms plum and prune always cause some confusion, possibly because the Latin word for plum is prunus. Botanically there is no difference between a plum and a prune. Originally in the English language, the words plum and prune were used as synonyms. Today, to make it less confusing, the Japanese varieties are called plums and the European varieties are usually called fresh prunes. The sun-dried fruit are also called prunes.

American plums are in season from mid-May until October. America imports plums from Chile during January, February, and March. Almost 90 percent of America's plums are grown in California. The first California plums of the year arrive near the end of May and are of a variety called the Red Beaut. This is not one of our better eating or holding varieties but is in great demand and brings top dollar because it is the first plum on the scene. You'll do better to skip these first arrivals and wait about three to four weeks for the more flavorful, better textured Santa Rosa plums.

Except for a jade-green-skinned variety called the Kelsey, the best flavored Japanese-type plums are either bright red or dark red in skin color. The dark red varieties are round and have very small pits. They have good size, lots of juice, and a refreshing tart-sweet flavor. The top varieties in this group, in order of merit, are the LaRoda, Eldorado, Queen Anne, Friar, and Nubiana. The brighter-red-skinned varieties are usually more oval in shape. They have larger stones than the dark red varieties and a slightly more tart, but also delicious, flavor. The varieties in this group are easy to recognize by name because they usually end with the word Rosa. There are the Santa Rosa, Queen Rosa, Gar Rosa, and Simka Rosa. The Simka Rosa is the largest fruit in the Rosa group and is sometimes called the New Yorker Plum. (Over the years this variety has increased the income of the dental profession. Along with the fairly large and very obvious pit that is easily removed, there is usually a tiny chip of a pit embedded in the flesh of the plum. It lurks unnoticed until you bite into it.)

All of the above-mentioned varieties have a yellow flesh. There are some fine red-fleshed varieties that are as flavorful as they are colorful. The old Duarte variety, which was the original red-flesh plum, lost favor not because it lacked flavor but because its skin would split open in several areas as it reached full maturity. The newer red-fleshed varieties are very popular in California but are seldom shipped out of the state because they are quite fragile when ripe and are often too tender to risk lengthy transport. The red-fleshed varieties include the Frontier, Mariposa, Carol Harriss, and Ace, which looks like a huge Duarte. One red-fleshed variety warrants special attention because its name accurately describes its contents: It is called the Elephant Heart.

There are two green-skinned varieties that also warrant special attention. They look somewhat alike in color and are very much alike in shape and size. As they ripen, the green fades to yellow and then bronze. The lighter green variety, which arrives late in June, is called the Wickson and is about as dry and flavorful as an unsalted boiled potato. The jade green variety, which follows in a few weeks, is called the Kelsey. There is no finer plum than the Kelsey. If you buy green-skinned plums, ask for Kelseys by name and avoid the Wicksons. Very often these two varieties are marketed as Green Gage plums, which they are not. The true Green Gage is grown in England and is a smaller horse of the same color.

The European-type plums don't reach the market until August. The most popular and the biggest crop are the small, purple, freestone prunes. These are grown not only in California but in the Pacific Northwest, Michigan, and New York. Washington State ranks number one in production. They are most commonly known as fresh prunes or Italian prunes but, depending on the ethnic balance of a neighborhood, may also be known as German prunes or Hungarian prunes. They are usually in good supply and sell at moderate prices. These freestone prunes are fairly good when eaten out of hand as a fresh fruit, but achieve their top flavor and top texture when used in baking. They also are excellent when stewed in sugar syrup.

One variety of European-type plum, called the Damson, is excellent for making jams and preserves. These are very small in size and are too firm and tart to eat raw, but they are fine when cooked. In Grandma's era, when many people put up homemade jellies, Damsons were a big item. Today they have all but disappeared.

In mid-September we get two very large-sized varieties of European-type plums. One of these, which resembles a huge fresh prune, is called the Empress and has a pretty good flavor. The other variety is called the President plum. These large purple plums are graceful fruits that look like winners but taste like losers. The Presidents arrive in huge supply just as the superior Japanese varieties are fading out. They are one of our poorest-flavored plums. When consumed while firm and green, they lack flavor and aren't very juicy. If allowed to ripen, they are very dry but do have good flavor, they taste like soap.

Another purple-skinned variety to avoid is aptly named. This variety is called the Tragedy plum and they do have a tragic flavor. These small purple plums are grown in California and arrive in July about a month before the look-alike fresh prunes. Shoppers, mistaking them for the fresh Italian prunes, buy the Tragedies. They haven't nearly as much flavor raw or cooked. Thankfully, fewer Tragedies arrive in market each year.

When shopping for plums, select those that have good color, are at least medium-sized, and are not bruised. Remember to avoid buying the first plum varieties that arrive in market in early May. Wait until June for more flavorful, less costly varieties. Enjoy plums during June, July, August, and early September. When the red-skinned varieties go out of season in mid-September, don't substitute with the large, attractive purple President plums, which lack flavor.

Nearly all the stone fruits (nectarines, peaches, and plums) should be purchased when firm and at high color, then allowed to ripen for a few days at room temperature. Once they attain a slight yield (or give) to gentle pressure, they should be stored in the refrigerator until used. Remember that slightly under ripe is preferable to overripe. The one exception to this rule is the apricot. You can't have an apricot that is too ripe. They are at flavor best when the texture is almost fluid.

Blackamber Black Beaut Casselman

El Dorado Elephant Heart Friar

Italian Kelsey Laroda

Friar President Queen Rosa

Red Beaut Roysum Santa Rosa

Simka

WHEN TO BUY: At peak June, July, and August
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Firm, colorful, not bruised fruit
HOW TO STORE: Ripen at room temperature; refrigerate when ready to eat


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