Prunes

There are a number of plum varieties that have such firm flesh and high levels of sugar that they can be dried with little loss of their original flavour and plumpness. Once dried, these plums are known as prunes.

Some of the best prunes are produced from the red and purple plums of Agen and Tours, France. Here, they are often dried the traditional way: skinned, stoned, left in the sun and flattened to become a pistole, or scalded whole and slowly dried in the shade to become a brignole or pruneau fleuri.

In California, plums are dried in large drying machines, producing fruit with somewhat less delicate flesh than the traditional French prunes, but soft, chewy and sweet nonetheless.

Prunes are excellent for eating as a snack, or for using in sweet or savoury dishes. They are traditionally eaten with game, goose and pork, and may be added to tarts, pies and compotes. They should be reconstituted by soaking in water, wine or orange juice for 20 minutes before using in any dish that does not contain a sunstantial amount of liquid.