The pluot is a fruit that combines the plum and the apricot. The pluot is 60 percent plum and includes more than 20 varieties, each with a unique color and flavor. The pluot is a fruit in the prunus genus, which includes apricots, peaches, cherries and almonds. Alexia Lewis, wellness dietitian in the Department of Health Promotion at the University of North Florida, shares more about this refreshing fruit. In order to include pluot in your diet, a recipe has been provided.
Myth: Pluots are genetically modified.
Fact: Pluots are a cross of two species in the same genus; but they aren’t genetically modified. Floyd Zaiger, a farmer-geneticist, introduced pluots in the 1980s after cross-breeding plums and apricots by hand pollination, not genetic modification.
Myth: Pluots have too much sugar to be healthy.
Fact: The pluot is an easy-to-carry, healthy snack. A pluot has 80 calories, 19 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of fiber, 1 gram of protein, no fat, 225 milligrams potassium and 10 percent daily value of vitamin C. With 15 grams of sugar, pluots have more sugar than plums, providing a sweet flavor. The sugar is the natural form of fruit sugar, fructose, and fiber slows down absorption giving pluots a low glycemic index and load, keeping it a healthy option.
Myth: Pluots should be handled like any other fruit.
Fact: Select firm, unblemished fruits with vibrant color. The fruit is ripe when it softens and has a strong fragrant smell. To speed ripening, store in a closed bag at room temperature. Once ripe, store refrigerated for three days. Wash before eating.
Myth: The only way to eat a pluot is fresh and by itself.
Fact: Pluots are delicious on their own and best at room temperature. Their season runs from May to October, when they are in grocery stores and farmer’s markets. This is not, however, the only way to enjoy pluots. Use pluots in pies, chop into salads or use in place of peaches, apricots or cherries. For a new twist on salsa, replace tomatoes with pluots and use as a dip or serve over cooked fish or chicken.
The Goods is a monthly column about food myths and facts by faculty members in the University of North Florida’s Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, which was selected by UNF President John Delaney as a Flagship Program, designed to elevate the program. Have a question about pluots? Contact Alexia Lewis at email@example.com.