Subtle? No. This week’s Wednesday Wheat is Plum. Tapped at the usual time of 4PM. I learn more each week as I hope all you do as well. When I went to pick out fresh plums, I had to choose between red and black. I wasn’t sure which to use,….so I used both. This will be a 50/50 red/black Plum Wheat. If you want to learn more about this stone fruit, read on:
- technically a stone fruit, just like Peaches, Cherries and apricots
- craft beer enthusiasts will be pleased to know that it was named by Pliny the Elder
- a pluot is a cross between a plum and apricot
- The dusty-white coating on plums is called a epicuticular wax and is known as “Wax Bloom”
- plums are synonymous with prunes and prunes are synonymous with laxatives
- as a result of the bad reputation, most companies have started marketing these as “dried plums” instead
- typically you cannot dry a plum and call it a “prune”, prunes are usually from the Freestone variety since the pit is easier to remove
- Dr. Pepper contains no prune juice
Uses for Plums, other than adding to beer:
- dry them into prunes!
- jams and jellies
- pies and cakes
- wine, brandy and other liquors (Sloe Gin is made from a type of plum)
- baked, roasted, stewed
- plum sauce and chutney
My personal memories of plums are quite fond as we grew up across the road from a small grove of about 5 plum trees. Each year we’d sneak over there and each about 4-6 of them. I don’t remember it affecting my digestive system, but they probably did. Now that I know there are red and black common varieties, I’m now wondering what type there were….I remember eating purple. I know this is a short list of uses, does anybody have more uses for them?
Prost!
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