Plum, Fruit
The plum or gage is the fruit of the trees in genus Prunus of family Rosaceae, native to China. Like the peach, apricot, peach and cherry, it is a stone fruit, or drupe. China and Turkey are the leading plum producers in Asia. There are over 140 plum varieties, and about 20 varieties are grown for commercial purposes. Some plum species grows 6-10 m tall, while some are much smaller trees with drooping branches. The flower buds are borne on short spurs or along the terminal shoots, each with 1-5 flowers. The greenish-white flowers are pollinated by bees. The fruit or plum, 3-6 cm in diameter, has a sweet, tart taste, and a flat pointed stone. The tart taste comes from the skin, which is a bit leathery in texture. Plums come in a wide range of colors and sizes. The skin color can be blue-black, red, orange, and yellow. The juicy flesh is usually light orange or pinkish in color. There are four main types of plums, the Japanese plum, European plums, cherry plum and Damsons & Mirabelles plum. Japanese plums are bigger than European plums. Plums that are dried without resulting in fermentaion are known as prunes. Prunes have firm flesh and contain a high level of sugar, and are dried in dehydrators or in the sun. They can be kept longer than fresh plums. California is the biggest producer and exporter of prunes in the world. Plums are highly nutritiousand are rich in vitamin A, C, E and K, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron, manganese and also ferulic acid which has anti-cancer compound. Plums also contain hydroxycinnamate, a kind of antioxidant that can prevent LDL oxidation. They are high in insoluble fiber, which promote intestinal health. Plums can be cooked in various methods and added in many recipes. They are usually taken fresh or juiced, or make into jam and jellies.  Plums Author: Fir0002 (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported) | ||
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