Plain, raw, cooked, in a salty or sweet version, the plum accompanies us until October, it is easy to eat and completely healthy!
Plum is low in calories. For example, Reine-Claude contains only 43 calories. It can therefore easily be eaten in case of a little hunger. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals and fibre.
There are more than 2,000 varieties of plums, 400 are cultivated in France and only 117 are listed in the official catalog of plant species and varieties. Among them, two big stars: the Reine-Claude and the plum d’Ente . Round and green, Reine-Claude is adorned with pretty golden reflections when fully ripe.
It’s a treat, simply on shortbread with a little caramelized sugar. The plum d’Ente is very fleshy and juicy, it is strongly appreciated as a prune.
A word of advice, avoid biting the wild plums found by the road or in the fields, they are often tasteless and can cause intestinal disorders.
Where do plums grow?
A large part of the production comes from the orchard of the South-West: Tarn-et-Garonne. The South-East of France is also an important production area for Reine-Claude and Golden Japan, a plum with yellow flesh. In the East, it is the mirabelles and plums that are the winners.
An average of 70,000 tonnes of table plums are produced per year in France and twice as much for prune plums.
The plum tree is not a demanding tree, it grows easily on clay-limestone soil. Ripe fruits stand out on their own from the tree. If you collect them, watch out for the little worms that love to slip into the plums.
Picked from the not too ripe tree, they can be kept for ten days in the refrigerator. For the mirabelle plums, look at their little cheeks, they should be lightly coloured, a sign of perfect maturity and excellent sugar content.
Endless recipes at low prices
In high season, you will find plums for less than 2 euros per kilo in our markets. Each region of France has its own recipe based on plums or prunes: lighthouse in Brittany, plums with prunes in the Aveyron, pâté with plums in the Loire Valley …
The plume goes well with roast pork, smoked bacon, turkey … In sweet version, we accept them into jams, clafoutis, gratins … They can also keep in jars or frozen after removing the core. History of eating plums all year round!
