In perusing catalogs to buy a plum tree, some of them are described as "prune type plums". What does that mean? Does it mean that these type plums are good for drying? Are they not for fresh eating or keeping? What plums are good winter keepers for zone 5 and have a sweet taste?

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), April 07, 2002

Answers

You know the small egg sized purple ones? Those are prune plums, and yes those are the ones for drying. At least, they are the ones commonly used for it. I don't know if others will dry as well or not, or if it's just that the commercial industry uses the purple ones. The round Japanese types are more of a fresh eating plum. I don't know that any plum is a winter keeper--they are like cherries and peaches and must be used fresh, or frozen, canned or dried. In zone five I think the old standby for prune types is "Stanley".

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), April 07, 2002.

These also are sometimes referred to as Italian purple plums. They are more likely to be free stone than many of the round plums, which cling to the stone. As said above, they are more egg shaped.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), April 07, 2002.

these type are fine for eating and cooking fresh too, some other kinds have a bitter or sort of 'off' taste after drying and will not rehydrate as nice. I think the prune types are the best all purpose plums.

-- Thumper/inOKC (slrldr@yahoo.com), April 07, 2002.

Years ago Stanley plums were dried and made into prunes. Perhaps it's a stanley or some cultivar of it.

-- Paul (treewizard@buffalo.com), April 08, 2002.

The prune type plum has a higher sugar content that is needed to help preserve it after the drying process.They are very sweet and are my favorites, fresh or dried. The red plums dont have enough sugar to prevent fermentation in storage after drying.

-- Brian N. E. Ohio (brilas@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.

Well, thank you everyone. I guess it is the prune type plum that I want then, because I want one for both fresh and drying. All of you gave me the answers I needed.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002.

when i was a boy we called those little plums damsons and lots of people had one in their yards. I remember in college that on the way to my first job there was an old lady that had a yard full of damsons and she would stand at the fence in the morning and hand out sack fulls to any poor college student that passed by and wished her good day. They were the sweetest juiciest fruit and I used to make them into a sort of cobbler too with a bit of bisquick. Used to do the same thing with mulberries that we picked along the railroad right of way.

Mark

-- mark chenail (chenail@uiuc.edu), April 08, 2002.

I have a rather funny story about prune plums. One year I got into making fruit butters; apple,pear,peach,apricot,etc. Well the local farmers market was selling plums really cheap so I bought 2 bushels. I had never grown plums and didn't know about the 'prune' type. The plum butter turned out great but as you can imagine had quite a laxative effect. I didn't know about the side effects since we usually don't open any of our canned goods until Thanksgiving,but after making the butters I shipped my mother-in-law 4 jars of each. You know, I don't think she ever forgave me until the day she died for that plum butter. She had decided to open it and indulge right before church, and from what I was told the effects hit her about 3/4 of the way through the sermon!! LOL Just remember plum butter made from prune plums will concentrate the laxative effects and possibly start a family feud!:) Have a great day. Kathy

-- Kathy Aldridge (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002.

They're the plums that I couldn't find in the grocery stores/markets last fall. My mother makes the most delicious plum dumplings. Wraps the plums in some kind of potato/flour dough, boils them, rolls them in bread crumbs with sugar/cinammon, then finishes them off in a huge iron skillet. Yummmmmmm! I was going to get a basketful, have her teach me how to make them, and try freezing some for later. And couldn't get any! :-(

-- Chelsea (rmbehr@istar.ca), April 08, 2002.