Fruit
Plum
CiruelaPrunaPrunus domestica
Plums come in every colour, from the green of greengages to purple so dark it's nearly black. The white dust on the skin is the plum's own bloom, not a spray: if it's intact, the fruit has barely been handled.
When
Around: Jun–Sept · At its best: Jul–Aug
Around: Jun–Sept · At its best: Jul–Aug
Around: Dec–Mar · At its best: Jan–Feb
Around here
The greengage (reina claudia), green or yellow and very sweet, is the classic garden plum. Prunes star in a Catalan festive classic, chicken with prunes and pine nuts. Lleida grows much of Catalonia's stone fruit, plums included.
At the market
- It should give a little when pressed, especially at the end opposite the stalk.
- With its whitish bloom and taut skin, no wrinkles.
- Avoid any with weeping cracks or a vinegary smell.
- With greengages, the more yellow they turn, the sweeter they are.
At home
- If firm, a day or two at room temperature and they keep ripening.
- Once ripe, in the fridge: three days to a week, depending on the variety.
- Don't wash them until you eat them, so the bloom stays on.
If you have too much
- Jam: skins on, for colour and the sharpness that balances it.
- Freeze them halved and stoned on a tray; they go straight into the oven.
- Dry them in a very low oven for hours to make your own prunes.
- Chutney or sweet-and-sour sauce for meat and cheese.
In the kitchen
- Raw, cold from the fridge on a hot day.
- Chicken with prunes and pine nuts, the festive Catalan classic (made with prunes).
- Roasted with pork or duck, where they melt into a sauce.
- Plum tart or cake, with cinnamon.
- In a salad with blue cheese and walnuts.
What it brings
Per 100 g, raw.
- Energy
- 46 kcal
- Water
- 87% water
- Carbs
- 11.4 g
- Sugars
- 9.9 g
- Fibre
- 1.4 g
- Protein
- 0.7 g
Stands out for
It isn't a «source» of anything by the EU rules: you eat it because it's good, which is plenty.
Data from the USDA (FoodData Central). See the full table ↗ · How we decide what stands out
Goes with
- PeachJun–OctPeach, nectarine and flat peach are the same species: a nectarine is a peach without fuzz, and the flat peach a squashed one. The one you can peel with your hands, dripping down to your elbow, is the one that was perfect.
- FigJun · Aug–SeptFig trees crop twice: brebas (early figs) at the start of summer, on last year's wood, and the true figs at the end. That's why figs take a break in July.
- GrapeAug–OctGrapes don't ripen once picked: the bunch you take home won't get any sweeter. You choose well at the stall or not at all.