the PLUM.
Having had some extra time on my hands this summer, frequenting the local Farmer's Markets is not only an option, it's a must. It is hard to say what my absolute favorite part of going to the Farmer's Market is; however, the free fruit samples on those round trays guarantee my return every time.
This summer, the plums have been especially mouth-watering delicious. Up until this past year, I wasn't aware of how many different varieties of plums there really are. Purple ones, purple spotted ones; yellow ones, oranges speckled ones...you name it. And then they sometimes cross them with apricots, peaches or nectarines and things get real crazy.
Just the other day, my mom and I happened to find ourselves at the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market. It was great: the sun was shining, the musicians were singing, and the fruit samples were out in full force. We weaseled our way through a small crowd of people who were surrounding a frenzied-looking lady with a sample platter. Jackpot. Needless to say, I tried pretty much every type of plum, pluot, peach, etc. We ended up purchasing about half of the stand's selection and were on our way.
(see the fingerprints!?)
When I got home, I was curious to see how nutritionally sound these little guys were. And they are pretty dang good for ya. Here's the legit story:
When I got home, I was curious to see how nutritionally sound these little guys were. And they are pretty dang good for ya. Here's the legit story:
Plums (aka prunes) have a unique history. Plums made their way over from the Caspian Sea region to America in the mid-nineteenth century when Louis Pellier planted plum tree cuttings from France into the California soil. Thanks to him, California now grows about 100% and 70% of the country's and world's plum supply, respectively. That's a lot of plums in California.
There are four major varieties of plums; French, Imperial, Italian and Greengage. All varieties are rich in important nutrients such as potassium, vitamin K, and minerals like iron. They also contain caffeoylquinic acid (wow-that's a mouthful), which is a phenolic compound and contains high levels of antioxidants. A fun fact to know is that when a plum becomes a prune (through a specific dessication process), its antioxidant content doubles.
I know what all of you are thinking next: plums & prunes are good for another reason, right? Yes, they have been a top choice for relieving constipation. In addition to their high fiber content, plums have a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that promotes laxation. A recent study shows that eating prunes regularly decreased your risk of colon cancer. I guess that makes sense!
There are four major varieties of plums; French, Imperial, Italian and Greengage. All varieties are rich in important nutrients such as potassium, vitamin K, and minerals like iron. They also contain caffeoylquinic acid (wow-that's a mouthful), which is a phenolic compound and contains high levels of antioxidants. A fun fact to know is that when a plum becomes a prune (through a specific dessication process), its antioxidant content doubles.
I know what all of you are thinking next: plums & prunes are good for another reason, right? Yes, they have been a top choice for relieving constipation. In addition to their high fiber content, plums have a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that promotes laxation. A recent study shows that eating prunes regularly decreased your risk of colon cancer. I guess that makes sense!
If you get the time to grab a couple plums from the Farmer's Market- or the local Walgreens for you really lazy people, try this simple recipe:
Plums for Breakfast.
- 1-2 plums, pitted & chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 mango juice (or substitute another tropical juice)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup organic raw almonds
- 1 Tsp. raw flax seeds
- 1 Tsp. shredded coconut
- 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt (or vanilla coconut yogurt if you are dairy-free)
Mix all ingredients together a few hours before you plan on eating it. That way, all the flavors become stronger and more delicious. Yum.
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