Yellow plums offer a delightful and diverse experience, known for their vibrant color and varying flavor profiles. These sought-after stone fruits provide a range of textures and tastes, from intensely sweet to balanced sweet-tart. Exploring the different yellow plum varieties reveals their unique characteristics and culinary versatility.
The Appeal of Yellow Plums
Yellow plums stand out due to their distinct characteristics and unique appeal. They generally present a juicy, succulent texture and a balanced flavor profile, often blending sweetness with a pleasant tartness. This makes them enjoyable for fresh eating and versatile for various culinary applications. Their versatility extends to baking, jams, and other preserves, where their natural sugars and vibrant color enhance the final product.
Common Yellow Plum Varieties
Mirabelle Plums
Mirabelle plums are small, round, golden-yellow fruits, often adorned with tiny red speckles. They are known for their intensely sweet and aromatic flavor, sometimes described as reminiscent of honey and apricots. The flesh is tender and juicy, with a smooth texture that easily separates from the pit.
Mirabelles generally ripen between mid-August and mid-September. They are highly versatile in the kitchen, excelling in desserts like tarts and pies, and are also frequently used for making jams, preserves, and even plum brandy. Two main varieties are Mirabelle de Nancy, which is rounder, sweeter, and ideal for desserts, and Mirabelle de Metz, slightly smaller and tangier, often preferred for jams and distillation.
Shiro Plums
Shiro plums are recognized for their larger size and bright, luminous yellow skin, which can sometimes develop a golden hue as they ripen. The flesh is yellow, juicy, and firm, offering a sweet yet mild flavor with a subtle tartness. This balance of sweetness and acidity makes them popular for fresh eating. Shiro plums typically ripen in early to mid-summer. Their crisp texture holds up well for use in fruit salads, baking, and making jams or jellies.
Golden Nectar Plums
Golden Nectar plums are notable for their substantial size and deep golden skin, often with a slight blush. The flesh is firm, amber-colored, and boasts a very sweet and rich flavor profile, making it a dessert plum. These plums are ready for harvest in mid to late summer, from July to August. They are well-suited for fresh consumption due to their sweetness and juicy texture. Golden Nectar plums also perform excellently in various culinary applications, including baking, canning, and making preserves. Their firm flesh allows them to maintain their integrity when cooked.
Yellow Egg Plums
Yellow Egg plums are distinct for their oblong or egg-shaped form and vibrant golden-yellow color, both on the skin and within the flesh. They possess a firm texture and a sweet-tart taste, with some varieties having a slightly tart skin that complements the sweet flesh.
These plums ripen in late summer to mid-September. While often used for cooking, they can also be enjoyed fresh when fully ripened on the tree. Their robust texture makes them particularly well-suited for canning, preserves, pies, and other baked goods, as they hold their shape during cooking.
Other Notable Yellow Plums
Beyond the widely known varieties, other yellow plums offer unique characteristics. The Cambridge Gage is a smaller, roundish plum with a yellow-green skin that can develop a pinkish blush as it ripens. Its flesh is sweet, juicy, and has a rich, honey-like flavor, making it suitable for both fresh eating and jams. The Early Golden plum produces medium-sized, round yellow fruits with a delicate red blush and golden, freestone flesh, ripening in July.
Selecting and Enjoying Yellow Plums
Choosing ripe yellow plums involves observing several sensory cues. Look for plums that are plump, well-colored, and have smooth, unblemished skin. A ripe plum should feel heavy for its size and yield slightly to gentle pressure, particularly at the blossom end, without being mushy. A sweet, fruity aroma emanating from the plum is also a strong indicator of ripeness.
Proper storage maximizes their freshness. Unripe plums can be left at room temperature to ripen, ideally in a loosely closed paper bag to accelerate the process by trapping ethylene gas. After ripening, plums should be transferred to the refrigerator, where they can remain fresh for up to one to two weeks. Storing them unwashed in the crisper drawer can help maintain their quality. Yellow plums are highly versatile; they can be enjoyed fresh, baked into pies, crumbles, or tarts, transformed into jams and preserves, or incorporated into savory dishes for a unique sweet-tart note.