Hey, you're about to learn how to dehydrate plums to make prunes!
It's funny how many people don't know what prunes really are (dehydrated plums!)—but the cat is out of the bag now! :-)
Plums are a great source of carbohydrates, and a decent amount of dietary fiber too and when dried as prunes, they are famous for their aid in our digestive-systems!
Just eat a couple a day and your digestive system will be f-i-n-e !
According to Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, from About.com Home Cooking, prunes have a bad rep with younger folk, and the prune industry got together and re-named the prunes—hence the name change from prunes to 'dried plums'!
Dehydrated plums make great for snacks, muffins, cookies, breads, and granola.
Plums are high in vitamin A, followed by and vitamin C, vitamin K, Folate, and Choline.
In the mineral department, plums are high in Potassium, followed by Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium, Fluoride, and a trace amount of Iron.
They also contain Omega-6 fatty acids too.
When they're made into prunes, they are a good source of dietary fiber. They're also low in calories and fat.
*NOTE:
"Pop the back"
simply means to turn the fruit inside out after slicing in half, best
done by using your thumb to push the skin side inwards.
There are many different types of plum trees that can be used for prunes. However, some varieties are better than others.
For example, the Satsuma plum tree is a popular choice for prunes. This variety produces large, sweet fruits that are perfect for drying.
Other good options include the European plum, the Japanese plum, and the Damson plum. Experiment and see what type of plum you like best!
A Stanley prune tree is a type of plum tree that produces large, sweet fruits. The fruits of this tree are often used for drying and can be made into prunes.
The Stanley prune tree is native to the western United States. It's a popular choice for gardens and Orchards because it's easy to care for and produces a large crop of fruit.
If you're looking for a tree that will produce a lot of prunes, the Stanley prune tree is a good choice!
Beverly, from Washington State, wanted to add this when she was dehydrating plums: They dried way faster than stated above, which was 22-30 hours:
in 16 hours at 72%
humidity and 135°F degrees, my prunes/plums were almost
to the point of
"brittle!" My plums were small ~ this is perhaps a factor as well.
I will shorten the drying time to 12 hours for the next batch.
NOTE: Don Hendricks posted this great information:
My "plum" tree is a Stanley Prune tree – although it is a variety of plum, it is an
Italian PRUNE - it's where prune juice comes from – not all varieties will dry into a prune!
Margaret posted this great idea (on our Facebook page):
I sliced my plums into thin rings and dehydrated until crisp. Resulted in a great snack to eat on the go!
Beverly, from Washington State,
wanted to add this when she
was dehydrating plums:
They dried way faster than stated
above, which was 22-30 hours:
in 16 hours at 72%
humidity
and 135°F degrees,
my prunes/plums were almost
to the point of
"brittle!"
My plums were small ~ this is
perhaps a factor as well.
I will shorten the drying time to
12 hours for the next batch.
NOTE: Don Hendricks posted this
great information:
My "plum" tree is a
Stanley Prune tree –
although it is a variety of plum,
it is an
Italian PRUNE -
it's where prune juice comes from –
not all varieties will dry into a prune!
Margaret posted this great idea
(on our Facebook page):
I sliced my plums into thin rings
and dehydrated until crisp.
Resulted in a great snack to
eat on the go!
Susan Gast began Easy Food Dehydrating in December 2010. Read Susan's story of what sparked her interest in all things related to "food dehydrating."
Susan is featured on Mother Earth News blog, and on Solo Build It (SBI) who host this site along with her sister site, Finally-Keto. Read her first SBI interview, and her second SBI interview. Susan also runs an additional SBI website: SusanGast.com - Non-Fiction Author - and showcases many of the books she's created and marketed over the years.
Since 1980, Susan's involvement in publishing - in one form or another - led her to create a "review site" of products related to the publishing industry. Visit ePubTechReviews today.
Do you want to send Susan a quick message? Visit her contact page here. She'd love to hear from you!