*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                                Info Plum

Recipe By     : Fast and Healthy, July/Aug 1997
Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Eat-Lf Mailing List              Fruits
                Info/How To

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
*****  NONE  *****

Kitchen Tips:

To peel plums, first drop them in boiling water for 30 seconds. The skin
will then peel away easily.

One pound of plums (four to five of the larger Japanese varieties or 12 to
15 of the smaller European varieites) yields from 1 1/2 - 2 C of chopped
fruit.

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8 ways to use plums:

1. Bake plums in a pie
2. Trade plums for apples in a crisp
3. Buy a flat of plums and make jam or jelly
4. Use plums in your homemade chutney
5. Make plum sauce to serve with pork and duck
6. Make a sweet-hot salsa with plums, bell peppers, onions, jalapeno chiles
   and cilantro
7. Cook plums with sugar, spices (cinnamon or ginger) and a little
   cornstarch for a delicious ice cream topping
8. Cut plums and kiwi fruit into chunks.  Toss them with a small amount of
   lime juice concentrate and grated lime peel for a refreshing fruit salad.

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Plum Facts:
They are a good source of Vitamin C

A plum has 25 - 60 calories, depending on the size

The French word for plum is prune

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Plum Guide:

Selection:
You'll find plums in supermarkets from May through October, with varieties
changing by the month.  Most of the varieties sold in the United States are
derived from the larger Japanese plums, grown in California. European
varieties tend to be smaller.

Buying:
Choose plump fruit that's firm but has a slight give.  The whitish dusting,
called bloom, is a natural protector and not a sign of poor quality.  Avoid
fruit that's very soft, very hard or bruised.

Storage:
Allow plums to ripen in a loosely closed paper bag at room temp for several
days.  Once they're ripe, refrigerate them, loosely wrapped.  Plums are
easy to freeze.  Cut the fruit in half; remove the pits.  Sprinkle halves
withpowdered ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to prevent browning.  Seal them in
freezer-proof bags or containers for up to 10 months.

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Plums/Prunes

Not all plums have the potential of becoming a prune.  Those varieties
whose pits ferment before the drying process ends are not used for prunes.


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