What are prunes?

Question: What are prunes?

What are prunes?

Answer: Plums are known as prunes in France, and earlier times, it is believed that both plum and prune meant the fresh fruit.

In modern times, the prune is the dried version of the plum. Most prunes are made from the La Petite d'Agen variety of plum brought from France in 1856 by French horticulturist Louis Pellier.

A new movement by the prune industry is to market prunes as plum raisins or dried plums in hopes the new term will appeal more to younger people.

More About Plums and Prunes:

• Plum Storage and Selection
• What are prunes? FAQ
• Plum and Prune Equivalents, Measures, and Substitutions
• Plum History
• Plum and Prune Legends - The Dr. Pepper® Connection
• Plum Recipes
_{Plum Photo © 2006 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone}