Do Plums Dry Naturally to Make Prunes?
- There are two basic types of plums: Japanese juicy plums, and European varieties. Japanese plums come in reds, yellows and greens, but never the dark blue and purples of European plums. Of the European varieties, the Italian plum, is most often associated with the prune industry. The skin is dark purple with a yellow interior. The seed falls away from the fruit when halved. Since the meat of the Italian plum is mild and firm, it dries easier with a not-too-sweet flavor.
- When the plums are prepared for drying, processors wash and dry them just like other fruits suitable for drying. Workers cut the fruits in half, remove the pits and place the halves on wooden trays in a drying facility. The juices stay in the fruit, concentrating in flavor as they dry. Sulfur is not necessary since the plums are dark, but potassium sorbate keeps the plums from developing mold or yeast blooms in the warm, moist fruit.
- Processors must employ a process called checking for plums that are dried whole without pitting. They drop clean, whole plums into briskly boiling water for 30 seconds to remove the waxy coating on the skin and to pop the skins open. By opening the fruit, the interior has a chance to dehydrate. Without this process, most whole plums dried naturally without intervention would rot.
- In the United States, the prune business conducted market research to improve declining sales. Apparently, the targeted audience of women aged 25 to 54 liked the name, dried plum, better than dried prunes. In addition, the new name described the product better than the old name of prune. Packaged prunes now bear the name, dried plums.
