They are eastern in origin, but were already being grown in Syria before the arrival of the Romans. Pompey introduced them to Rome in 65 BC, and with time they entered the popular imagination as a sort of cure-all; plum trees were considered good luck, while the fruit was given to the sick to help them recover, and to the irascible to calm their minds.
There are literally thousands of varieties of plums, with new kinds emerging all the time -- the small, green Regina Claudia, for example, was introduced to Europe in the 1400s by French Crusaders returning from the Holy Land, who named it after their Queen.
In terms of color plums range from green through pale yellow and on to orange, red, and from thence to purple and blue-black. Italians, whose annual plum crop is close to 200,000 tons, tend to prefer red plums, but are quite happy to make do with other colors too.
When selecting plums, the standard rules apply: The fruit should look fresh, and firm, and be blemish free. Transparency and shine of the skin are less important, as the skins of some varieties of plums have a milky to grayish sheen. A final observation: Provenance. Given the demand for plums, they are often trucked in from elsewhere. Fruit that is picked and shipped is not going to be as tasty as what is locally grown, picked, and sold, and therefore, if you can, select fruit that's locally grown. Or, if your climate allows it, plant a couple of plum trees -- they blossom beautifully in the spring, and there's nothing quite so nice as biting into a perfectly ripe piece of fruit from one's own tree. From a dietetic standpoint plums are an excellent source of dietary fiber, and are also good sources of vitamin A, while they are not particularly rich in calories (60 for 100 g). In short, they're good for you!
What to do with them? While they are perfect as is at the close of a meal, they can also be put to many other uses.
The Most Obvious Are Jams And Marmalades:
- Confettura di Prugne
Fresh Prune Jam: This is one of the finest late summer jams, and is wonderful for spreading on toast or transforming into a crostata. - Confettura di Albicocche e Prugne Rosse
Apricots and red plum jam. Who could ask for more? - All Sorts of Jams, Including Plum
This recipe is drawn from Il Re dei Cuochi, which was published anonymously in Florence in 1885. Though the author calls for Regina Claudia plums, tiny very sweet green plums that appear for only a short time in July, you can use almost any good flavorful plum.
- Torta alle Prugne
This fruit tart is quite elegant, and much easier to make than you might expect. It will also lend itself well to variations: In addition to using plums, you could use apricots, peaches, or nectarines -- or a combination of the various kinds of fruit. - Torta Picnic Alle Prugne
This plum cake is quite simple, and is also is one of those things one can bring on a picnic with impunity, because at the most it will crack a little -- not something one normally looks for in a cake, but when one stuffs it into a picnic hamper it's an important consideration.
- Sedani Rigati (pasta) with Chicken and Dried Prunes
A Fairly rich winter pasta sauce. - Roast Pork Shoulder Butt with Onions and Plums
Cooking with fruit will, of course, impart sweet overtones to a dish, and though this sort of thing is relatively rare in modern Italian cooking, it was quite common in the past. - Arrosto Di Vitello Con Susine
Savory dishes cooked with fruit were considerably more common in the past than they are now in Italy, but they do offer a welcome, and rather voluptuous change of pace. This recipe calls for Burbank plums, but you could use others as well.
