PRUNE

A 'prune' is a dried fruit of various plum species, mostly ''Prunus domestica''. It is wrinkly in shape, unlike its non-dried counterpart.

Contents

Production

Uses

Health benefits

In popular culture

See also

External Links

Notes and References

Production

More than 125 cultivars of plums are grown for drying. Four of the most common cultivars are French, Imperial, Italian, and Greengage. In general, prunes are freestone cultivars (the pit is easy to remove), whereas most other plums grown for fresh consumption are cling (the pit is more difficult to remove). Fresh prunes reach the market earlier than fresh plums and are usually smaller in size.
One of the largest and best-known prune producers is Sunsweet Growers, headquartered in Yuba City, CA, who control more than 2/3 of the prune market worldwide. In the United States, an effort to rebrand "prunes" as '"dried plums"' began in 2000, to appeal to a younger market who associated prunes with elderly people.^[1] However, only some varieties of plum are usually called prunes when dried; others have usually been called "dried plums" in any case.^[2]

Uses

Prunes are used in cooking both sweet and savory dishes. Stewed prunes, a compote, are a dessert. Prunes are a frequent ingredient in North African tagines. Perhaps the best-known gastronomic prunes are those of Agen (''pruneaux d'Agen'').

Health benefits

Prune juice is richer in fiber than plum juice and is often marketed as a treatment for constipation, and it helps with kidney stones.

In popular culture

★ "Prune juice. A warrior's drink!" - Worf ^[3]

★ There has long been an urban myth that prune juice is an ingredient in Dr. Pepper.^[4]

See also

★ Dietary Fiber

External Links

★ California Prune Board

★ Sunsweet

Notes and References

1. TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF: CHANGE FROM 'PRUNE' TO 'DRIED PLUM' PROVING FRUITFUL
2. Zasky, op. cit. "The dried European plums equal prunes while the dried Japanese plums are usually just called dried plums."
3. Worf Quotations
4. Belle Pepper