Plums
Types
A wide variety of plums are grown in Australia with a considerable range in sweetness, colour and size. The main types are Santa Rosa, Black Amber, Fortune, Laroda, Friar, Amber Jewel, Ausibelle, Moyer, Tegan Blue, Angeleno and Autumn Giant. Though plums may not be sold under these specific names. Blood plums include some of these varieties a refer to smaller Japanese varieties with a dark colour. Dried plums are called prunes of which the main variety used in Australia is D’Agen because of its high sugar content.
Selection, Storage and Availability
Choose plums with a whitish bloom and unblemished, unwrinkled skin. Plums can be sunburned and this is indicated by a brownish patch on the fruit, avoid sunburned fruit. Plums ripen quickly and once ripe should be eaten as soon as possible. Plums are available from November-February.
Uses
Eat raw or poach, bake, pickle, add to a cake or make a old fashioned plum sauce to eat with meat. Japanese varieties or blood plums are best for cooking as well as good for eating. Larger varieties can become mushy when cooked.
Nutrition Information
Plums are high in antioxidants and vitamin C.
