What tangy and delicious fruit is related to a cherry and peach? It’s a plum! Plums come in a wide range of colors from yellow to white or green to red. But red is the variety you see most often. Despite the color differences, all plums are nutritious and packed with benefits. They help fight disease, signs of aging, help regulate digestion, and so much more! Keep reading to learn all about plums and how to incorporate them into your diet.

A Plum is a Good Source of:

• Vitamin C—a powerful antioxidant for your immune system
• Vitamin A—for cell heath
• Fiber—great for liver and digestive health
• Antioxidants—improves heart and eye health
• Vitamin K—aiding bone, heart, and brain health

Did You Know?

• Dried plums are called prunes!
• Plums may have been one of the first fruits widely eaten by humans.
• In 1881, Luther Burbank, an American botanist, horticulturist, and pioneer in agricultural science, brought twelve plum seeds back from Japan. Now almost all plums grown in the United States are related to those seeds.

How to Choose and Store Plums

When buying plums, choose plump plums with smooth skins. Make sure to avoid bruises and soft spots! Store unripe plums in a paper bag until they’re ripe, then refrigerate them. You know they’re ready to eat when the plum softens when you apply gentle pressure.

Tips to Get Children to Eat Plums

• Add plums to a fun, healthy kabob!
• Mix dried plums in their favorite trail mix.
• To a leafy green salad with slices of plum and other delicious fruits.
• Blend into a healthy smoothie!

Ways to Prepare Plums

• Raw
• Baked
• Poached
• Pureed
• Dried

Plum Sauce

Ingredients

• 12 ounces canned plums in heavy syrup
• ½ cup reserved juice from canned plums
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• A pinch of ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Remove plums from the syrup, cut in half, remove pits, and chop into pieces.
2. Combine plums and all remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Plums will fall apart and the sauce will start to get thick.
4. Serve over 6–6 servings of pork chops, chicken breast, or meatloaf.
5. Leftovers may be stored in the fridge.

• A “plumcot” is 50% plum and 50% apricot.

• An “aprium” is 75% apricot and 25% plum.

• A “pluot” is 75% plum and 25% apricot.

• Wild plum trees are symbolic of independence.

• Luther Burbank brought twelve plum seeds back from Japan, now almost all plums grown in the United States are related to those seeds.

As you enjoy fresh produce, follow these safe handling tips to help protect yourself and your family.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Your local markets carry a wide variety of nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables. However, harmful bacteria that may be in the soil or water where produce grows can come in contact with fruits and vegetables and contaminate them. Fresh produce may also become contaminated after it is harvested, such as during storage or preparation.

Eating contaminated produce can lead to foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning.” So as you enjoy fresh produce, follow these safe handling tips to help protect you and your family.

Buy Right

You can help keep produce safe by making wise buying decisions.

• Choose produce that is not bruised or damaged.
• When buying pre-cut, bagged or packaged produce — such as half of a watermelon or bagged salad greens — choose only those items that are refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
• Bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from raw meat, poultry, and seafood when packing them to take home from the market

Store Properly

Proper storage of fresh produce can affect both quality and safety.

• Store perishable fresh fruits and vegetables (like strawberries, lettuce, herbs, and mushrooms) in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40° F or below. Use a refrigerator thermometer to check! If you’re not sure whether an item should be refrigerated to keep its quality, ask your grocer.
• Refrigerate all produce that is purchased pre-cut or packaged .

Separate for Safety

Keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood — and from kitchen utensils used for those products.

• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with soap and hot water between preparing raw meat, poultry, and seafood and preparing produce that will not be cooked.
• If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• If you use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards, run them through the dishwasher after use

Prepare Safely

When preparing any fresh produce, begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after preparation.

• Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Throw away any produce that looks rotten.
• Wash all produce thoroughly under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home or bought from a grocery store or farmers’ market. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended. Produce is porous. Soap and household detergents can be absorbed by fruits and vegetables, despite thorough rinsing, and can make you sick. Also, the safety of the residues of commercial produce washes is not known and their effectiveness has not been tested.
• Even if you do not plan to eat the skin, it is still important to wash produce first so dirt and bacteria are not transferred from the surface when peeling or cutting produce.
• Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
• After washing, dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present on the surface

What About Pre-Washed Produce?

Many pre-cut, bagged, or packaged produce items are pre-washed and ready-to-eat. If so, it will be stated on the packaging, and you can use the produce without further washing.

If you choose to wash produce marked as “pre-washed” or “ready-to-eat,” be sure that it does not come in contact with unclean surfaces or utensils. This will help to avoid cross contamination.

About Foodborne Illness

Know the Symptoms

Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria will usually cause illness within 1 to 3 days of eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Although most people will recover from a foodborne illness within a short period of time, some can develop chronic, severe, or even life-threatening health problems.

Foodborne illness can sometimes be confused with other illnesses that have similar symptoms. The symptoms of foodborne illness can include:

• Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain
• Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and body ache

Take Action

If you think that you or a family member has a foodborne illness, contact your healthcare provider immediately.