Plum

The plum is a stone fruit that grows on trees in the Prunus genus. Depending on the variety, a plum may be green, red, purple, or yellow, and all have smooth, edible skin and sweet flesh surrounding a pit.

The fruit is most often used in baked goods or boiled to create jams and sauces for both sweet and savory dishes. It can also be grilled, poached, roasted, or stewed. And, plums are delicious eaten raw.

Plums are a member of the rose family, Rosacea, and are related to peaches, apricots, nectarines and almonds. The plant is native to China, the Americas, and Europe. The fruit is classified as a drupe, meaning it has a pit (or stone) in the center, similar to a peach and apricot. Healthy plum trees are prolific and the fruits fill every branch and limb, often ripening all at once.

The plum ranges in size, shape, and color. Black and yellow plums have an amber-colored flesh under their skins.

Two types of plums, the European and the Japanese variants, originate from two different countries. European plums were first documented in the Caucasus, with Pompey the Great being known to have cultivated the trees as early as 65 B.C., while Japanese plums have been documented in China, with the philosopher Lao Tzu believed to have been born under a plum tree. 

Plums are relatively low in calories, but contain a fair amount of important vitamins and minerals. One plum contains the following nutrients:

• Calories: 30
• Carbs: 8 grams
• Fiber: 1 gram
• Sugars: 7 grams
• Vitamin A: 5% of the RDI
• Vitamin C: 10% of the RDI
• Vitamin K: 5% of the RDI
• Potassium: 3% of the RDI
• Copper: 2% of the RDI
• Manganese: 2% of the RDI

Additionally, one plum provides a small amount of B vitamins, phosphorus and magnesium.

As a stone fruit, plums can be divided into three categories: clingstone, semi-clingstone and freestone. These divisions vary mainly on the separation of the flesh from the stone, or the pit. Clingstone plums have flesh that adheres to the stone, while freestone plums have flesh free from the stone.

While prunes are usually described as dried plums, not all plums can be processed into prunes. Prunes are specifically produced with the Prunus domestica cultivar because its sugar content keeps it from fermenting during the drying process.

While prunes and plums come from the same plant, their nutritional components largely differ. For example, one cup of sliced, raw plums contains only 76 calories, while the same amount of prunes contains 418. Fresh plums are high in sugar with 16 grams per serving, while the dried variety has 66 grams.

Plums and prunes are rich in antioxidants, which are helpful for reducing inflammation and protecting your cells from damage by free radicals. They are particularly high in polyphenol antioxidants, which have positive effects on bone health and may help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

The significant amounts of flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants in plums, such as lutein and cryptoxanthin, may help fight aging and disease by combating free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Red blood cell-formulating iron, heart- and blood pressure-regulating potassium and fat- and carbohydrate-metabolizing B vitamins, such as niacin, B6 and pantothenic acid, are important components in both plums and prunes.

Vitamin A and zeaxanthin in plums are eye-protective, because they absorb into the retina and filter ultraviolet light. In addition, the vitamin C content of plums may help protect LDL from oxidation, which is especially beneficial for people at risk for atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Classified as phenols, neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acid are two unique phytonutrients in plums and prunes, and have been the subject of numerous clinical trials in recent years. This is because of their antioxidant effectiveness, especially against one of the most damaging free radicals: superoxide anion radical.

Both fresh and dried plums are known as a natural laxative, mainly due to their high sorbitol content. The fiber in plums and prunes may also play an important role in feeding the good bacteria in your gut. In a 2018 animal study in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, researchers found that dietary fiber treatment may help improve gut health by promoting microbiota changes.

Plums have properties that may help with blood sugar control. Despite being fairly high in carbs, plums and prunes do not appear to cause a substantial rise in blood sugar levels after they’re eaten. This is attributed to their potential to increase levels of adiponectin, a hormone that plays a role in blood sugar regulation.

Additionally, the fiber in plums may be partly responsible for their effects on blood sugar. Fiber slows the rate at which your body absorbs carbs after a meal, causing blood sugar to rise gradually, rather than spike.

Luther Burbank, a pioneer in agricultural science, performed cross-breeding experiments on plums to produce a tree with all the right attributes, such as “stability, novelty, variety, hardiness, beauty, shipping quality and adaptability.” Burbank’s experiments with plums produced the “plumcot”, half plum and half apricot. He also produced the pluot, which was 75% plum and 25% apricot, and the aprium, a 75% apricot and 25% plum mix.

How to Buy

Most supermarkets and grocery stores stock fresh plum when the fruit is in season. The fruit can also be found at some farmers markets. Plum comes into season from the middle of summer into early fall. This will vary slightly with the climate, the weather that year and the specific variety. Sold individually by the pound, plums are inexpensive.

Plums are delicate and should be handled carefully to avoid bruising. When selecting a plum, give it a very gentle squeeze. It should give just a little bit, just like a peach. The skin should be a vibrant color and not have soft spots or bruising. Most plums have a bloom, a delicate dusty white matte powder on the skin that rubs or rinses off. This is a sign of ripe, freshly harvested fruit that has not been over-handled.

How to Store

A plum that is ripe and ready to eat can be kept at room temperature. Or, to keep it in good shape a bit longer, wrap the fruit loosely in in a tea towel and keep it chilled. For a plum that is still hard, allow it to soften by leaving it out at room temperature. To speed up the process, place it in a paper bag. Unlike some fruit, a plum won’t get sweeter; it stops developing sugars once plucked from the tree.

If you have too many to use right away, plums freeze well. Wash, peel, and pit the plum if you prefer. Cut it into smaller pieces, then flash freeze the fruit in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container. Plum will keep in the freezer for six months to one year. Once frozen the fruit is best for smoothies, baked goods, or jams.

How to Cook

Besides eating raw out of hand, plums can be used in a variety of ways. They’re commonly found in baked goods such as cakes, pies, and tarts. Plum jam and chutney are very popular, as are sauces for desserts and savory meat dishes. The fruit is also used in beverages such as smoothies and can be juiced to drink as is or fermented to make plum wine. When you cook with black plum, the dark skin will give the entire dish a deep purple color.

To prepare plum for recipes, wash the outside well. Recipes will generally require you to cut the fruit into halves or quarters, then discard the pit. For recipes like dumplings, when you need to preserve the general shape of the plum, slit it in half, cutting along the pit, then remove the pit. Other recipes, like jams that require boiling, will call for chopped plums. Plum halves may also be grilled or roasted and quartered plums can be poached for a sweet fruit soup or compote.