Plums are a truly delicious health wonder. Here, we provide important information about the fruit.
- ...reduce water retention. With a potassium content of almost 180 milligrams per 100 grams, plums help to keep the fluid balance in the body in balance and excrete excess water more quickly.
- ...strengthen your nerves. Plums score points with a high content of various B vitamins, which are beneficial for the nervous system and, incidentally, also for the metabolism.
- ...are easy to digest. Properly ripe plums contain hardly any acid and are very sweet. This makes them particularly well tolerated by a sensitive stomach.
- ...help protect your cells. Like all blue and red fruits, plums are particularly rich in flavonoids. These plant pigments act as antioxidants, which act as a protective mantle around your cells and protect them from disease-causing free radicals.
- ...are good for your skin and eyes. With 65 micrograms of vitamin A per 100 grams, plums are not among the top suppliers of vitamin A. Nevertheless, they contribute to keeping your skin healthy and beautiful, and also strengthen your eyesight.
- ...can have a natural laxative effect. Plums are said to have an "acceleration" effect on digestion. Although this is mainly true of dried plums (prunes), it can also be true if you eat large quantities of fresh plums.
- ...aren't for everyone. Whether oval or round, blue-violet or yellow to green: ripe plums have a very high fruit sugar content. Those who have a fructose intolerance are therefore better off staying away from them.
What You Should Know About Plums
Originating in Asia, plums have been around for 2,000 years.
Across the U.S. the plum season lasts from May to September.
Admittedly, with this stone fruit, there are almost too many varieties to keep track of. There are over 2,000 varieties worldwide, which we group together under the generic term plums.
Find all our plum recipes here.
How Healthy Are Plums?
Plums are a truly delicious superfood because they help protect against high blood pressure and can help with stomach problems. Besides provitamin A, B vitamins and vitamins C, E and K, plums also contain zinc, copper, calcium, and boron. Above all, the B vitamins are important for a healthy metabolism and an intact nervous system.
In addition, researchers have been looking at the polyphenols of plums for some time, especially the anthocyanin group. The dye is responsible for the blue-violet color of plums. Researchers suspect that anthocyanins can slow down aging processes in our blood vessels and prevent fat deposits. In this way, the anthocyanins from plums can prevent obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels. And all this at 47 calories per 100 grams. Calorie counts for mirabelle plums and greengages are somewhat higher, but you can still take advantage of this fruit.
The Roman poet Marcus Valerius Martial already knew: "Take plums for the rotten burden of old age, because they loosen the hard tensed belly." In fact, as a household remedy, plums have a laxative effect when eaten in large quantities. Otherwise, the fruit can also help against heartburn. However, plums should be steamed for this, as the fruit acids can irritate a sensitive stomach.
|Plum Nutritional Info (100 g)|
Shopping and Cooking Tips
Plums can be recognized by their deep reddish-bluish color. Ripe plums are dark blue. When you buy them, make sure that there is a natural and undamaged layer of wax and a pleasant smell. If the fruits yield under slight pressure, they are optimal.
For storage, remove the stones beforehand so that the plums do not become bitter. Depending on the variety, the plums will keep for up to seven days in the refrigerator, preferably in a perforated plastic bag. They should not be stored with broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes or cucumbers, as they can easily take on the smell of the vegetables.
After you have rinsed the plums, you can eat them raw, of course, or bake them into a cake. When cooked, plums are ideal for making compote, jam or jellies. As a sauce, plums taste best with pork or poultry. However, plums should not be cooked for too long, as they lose their flavor. A plum cake is a real classic that you should definitely try.