Ingredient: Prunes
Category: Dried Fruit
Season: All
A prune is a dried fruit of various plum species, mostly Prunus domestica. It has a wrinkly in texture, unlike its non-dried counterpart
Culinary uses
Prunes are used in cooking both sweet and savory dishes.
Stewed prunes , a compote, are a dessert.
Prunes are a frequent ingredient in North African tagines.
Perhaps the best-known gastronomic prunes are those of Agen (pruneaux d'Agen).
Prunes are used frequently in Tzimmes , a traditional Jewish dish in which the principal ingredient is diced or sliced carrots; and in traditional Norwegian fruktsuppe.
Health benefits
Due to their high contents of dietary fibers , prunes and prune juice are common home remedies for constipation.
Prunes have a high antioxidant content
Buying prunes
Pruneaux d'Agen
After the plum harvest come the prunes especially, as far as we are concerned, those made in the juicy style of South West France.
There the plums are gently dried until they are done enough to keep but still juicy and tender enough to eat without soaking.
This technique is associated with the region around Agen, hence the name Pruneaux d'Agen.
You can usually find them in delicatessens.
Supermarkets are more likely to have Californian' prunes (Sunsweet Growers, who control more than 2/3 of the prune market worldwide), equivalent which is called a ready-to-eat prune.
These really wrinkly kind of prune is cheaper and keeps for ages in a storage jar but cannot compare for richness of flavour of the Pruneaux d'Agen prunes |