Plums or the common European plums originated near the Caspian Sea and the Japanese plums originated in China. Thereafter, this interesting fruit was introduced in America through pilgrims. Now it is one of the most extremely popular fruits in the United States, particularly in California, which is the major plum producing state in the US. The scientific name of plum is Prunus domestica.
A plum tree grows to 5 – 7 meters in height and bears greenish-white flowers. The fruit has a plump round shape with a depression at the top where the stem of the plant is attached. The skin of the plum is very smooth and can be red, green, purple, or yellow. Though plums are often confused with Nectarines or Apples, they are smaller than those fruits and lack orange coloring.
Plums can come in different varieties:
European – the common plums, main species of its sub-family
Japanese – preferred in the US as fresh eating plums, they are larger, rounder, and firmer than European types. The scientific name of the Japanese plum is Prunus salicina.
Damsons – small wild plums, native to Europe. The scientific name of the damsons plum is Prunus insititia.
A plum should be washed and cleaned before consumption. Plums are best if eaten fresh. However, you can eat plums in other forms such as jam, jelly, juice, and marmalade. Cut the fruit into slices and add them to fruit salads or use them as dessert toppings – they are delicious in all forms. Note, plum can be found in a dried form, which is known as a Prune.
Plum is rich in carbohydrates and Vitamin A and C, calcium, potassium, and iron. It contains high amounts of fiber that stimulates bowel movement.
