Health benefits and history of plums

Exciting news, we have officially started plum season! Being the only fruit that is actually early this year, it needs celebrating! Not a fan of eating raw plums? The fruit is often used in baking and can be used to make jam, juice, and wine. Dried plums (prunes) are also a delicious snack. They can even be pickled! Here are some trivia facts about plums:

• Plums are the second most cultivated fruit in the world.
• The fruit is grown on every continent except Antarctica.
• Some plum trees can reach 20 to 33 feet tall.
• The European plum originated around 2,000 years ago near the Caspian Sea.
• The Japanese plum was first grown in China thousands of years ago. It was then developed in Japan and introduced to the rest of the world.
• It is (apparently) unknown how many species of plum exist. Some say there are 19 species while others say there are 40 species (in contrast, our farm has over 220 varieties of apple) 
• The most common varieties of plum are the Damson, Greengage, Yellowgage, Victoria plum, Satsuma plum, and Mirabelle plum.
• A large amount of the Damson variety are grown in Hungary.
• Plums symbolise good fortune in Chinese culture.

Plums and prunes are low calorie and high in vitamins, making them a great snack. They are known to help the digestive system and are known to be rich in antioxidants. Much like cherries, it is suggested that plums help lower blood sugar, promote bone health and are beneficial for the heart. Additionally, they have several characteristics that may reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Our plums will be available into the early autumn (weather depending of course!) so why not be explorative with your cooking and try plum tarts, making jam or adding them to your morning porridge!