prune

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prune

A dried plum. Only certain varieties of plums are suited to being dried, such as the "French prune" (also called prune d'Agen and prune d'ente) and greengage plums. These firm-fleshed plums with a high sugar content are dried with their pit intact. Prunes are also used to produce juice.

Buying

Choose: black, shiny, soft and fleshy prunes that are not sticky or moldy. If they are dryish, they are either old or have not been treated with additives.

Prunes of various size and quality can be sold pitted or unpitted.

Serving Ideas

Prunes are eaten as is or cooked as a compote (add sugar at the end of cooking). They are used whole or chopped in sauces, cakes, cookies, muffins and puddings. Prunes are a classic accompaniment to rabbit, pork, poultry and game, as well as lamb (in the Near East and Iran). Prunes can be soaked in water, juice or alcohol instead of being cooked or to reduce cooking time. When they are too dry, soak in boiling water, drain and wipe dry before using.

The kernel inside the prune pit contains a toxic substance. It can be eaten, but only in small quantities.

Storing

At room temperature: in an environment that is not too humid 
or dry. 

In the fridge: keeps for an extended period.

Nutritional Information

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1. A dried plum. Prunes can be traced back to Roman times and have long been a popular northern European winter fruit because they could be stored without problem. Although any plum can be made into a prune, those with the greatest flavor, sweetness and firmness are best suited for that use. Commercial dehydration has replaced sun-drying as the primary method of producing prunes. Though the best prunes are found in the fall, they're available year-round and come in various sizes (small, medium, large, extra large and jumbo). When purchasing prunes look for those that are slightly soft and somewhat flexible. They should have a bluish-black skin and be blemish-free. Store them airtight in a cool, dry place (or refrigerate) for up to six months. Prunes can be eaten out of hand or used in a variety of sweet and savory dishes. Prune purée, which can be found in jars in most supermarkets, is broadly touted (primarily by the California Prune Board) as a fat substitute. In baked goods, substituting prune purée for butter or other fat can reduce cholesterol to zero and calories by up to 30 percent. The purée contributes moisture, a slightly chewy texture and a pruny flavor that can range from mild to moderately aggressive, depending on the other flavors in the food. 2. A variety of Italian plum. 3. In French, the word prune means "plum," while pruneau means "prune."

verb

To decrease, as in length or amount, by or as if by severing or excising: chop¹, clip¹, crop, cut, cut back, cut down, lop¹, lower², pare, shear, slash, trim, truncate. See increase/decrease.

To cut back, pinch back, or otherwise inhibit or control the growth of a plant to maintain vigor, shape the plant, or spur new growth.

Prunes may symbolize an emotional or creative blockage. They may also represent aging ("wrinkled as a prune").

• Other edged and pointed tools
• Practice, Tools, and Techniques - pruner: bladed device for cutting back plant growth; brush cutter

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2010)

This article is about the fruit trees and their fruit. For the trimming of fruit tree branches, see fruit tree pruning. For pruning of trees and plants in general, see Pruning.

Fresh prunes (Prunus domestica)

Dried prune

A prune is any of various plum cultivars, mostly Prunus domestica or European Plum, sold as fresh or dried fruit. The dried fruit is also referred to as a dried plum. In general, fresh prunes are freestone cultivars (the pit is easy to remove), whereas most other plums grown for fresh consumption are clingstone (the pit is more difficult to remove).

Contents 1 Production 2 Marketing change 3 Uses 4 Health benefits 5 In popular culture 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Production

More than 1,000 cultivars of plums are grown for drying. The main cultivar grown in the U.S. is the Improved French prune. Other varieties include Sutter, Tulare Giant, Moyer, Imperial, Italian, and Greengage. Fresh prunes reach the market earlier than fresh plums and are usually smaller in size.

Marketing change

Due to popular perception (in the U.S.) of prunes being used only for relief of constipation, and being the subject of related joking, many of today's distributors have stopped using the word "prune" on packaging labels. Their preference is to state "dried plums".^[1]

Uses

Plums, dried (prunes), uncooked

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	1,006 kJ (240 kcal)
Carbohydrates	63.88 g
- Sugars	38.13 g
- Dietary fibre	7.1 g
Fat	0.38 g
Protein	2.18 g
Vitamin A	781 IU
Vitamin C	0.6 mg (1%)
Phosphorus	69 mg (10%)
Potassium	732 mg (16%)
1 prune, pitted 9.5 g 1 cup, pitted 174 g Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Prunes are used in cooking both sweet and savory dishes. Stewed prunes, a compote, are a dessert. Prunes are a frequent ingredient in North African tagines. Perhaps the best-known gastronomic prunes are those of Agen (pruneaux d'Agen). Prunes are used frequently in Tzimmes, a traditional Jewish dish in which the principal ingredient is diced or sliced carrots; in the Nordic prune kisel, eaten with rice pudding in the Christmas dinner; and in the traditional Norwegian dessert fruit soup. Prunes have also been included in other holiday dishes, such as stuffing, cake, and to make sugar plums. Prune ice cream is popular in the Dominican Republic.

Health benefits

Prunes and their juice contain mild laxatives including phenolic compounds (mainly as neochlorogenic acids and chlorogenic acids) and sorbitol.^[2] Prunes also contain dietary fiber (about 6%, or 0.06 g per gram of prune). Prunes and prune juice are thus common home remedies for constipation. Prunes also have a high antioxidant content.^[3]

In popular culture

• There has long been an urban myth that prune juice is an ingredient in Dr Pepper.^[4]

• Worf, from Star Trek: The Next Generation enjoys prune juice, proclaiming it "a warrior's drink".^[5]

• Prunes and prune juice are recurring elements in Frank Zappa's album, Absolutely Free.

See also

• Plum
• Dietary fiber
• Laxative

References

1. ^ Janick, Jules and Robert E. Paull (2008). The encyclopedia of fruit & nuts. CABI. ISBN 0-85199-638-8. p. 696.
2. ^ Stacewicz-Sapuntzakis, M; Bowen, PE; Hussain, EA; Damayanti-Wood, BI; Farnsworth, NR (2001). "Chemical composition and potential health effects of prunes: a functional food?". Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 41 (4): 251–86. doi:10.1080/20014091091814. PMID 11401245. 
3. ^ "Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture. November 2007. http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/ORAC/ORAC07.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-27. 
4. ^ Mikkelson, Barbara (27 February 2007). "Belle Pepper". Snopes. http://www.snopes.com/business/secret/drpepper.asp. Retrieved 2007-04-05. "Dr Pepper doesn't contain any prune juice, but this rumor has been remarkably long-lived, having been with us since about 1930." 
5. ^ Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Yesterday's Enterprise"; S03E15.

External links

• INC, International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation
• California Prune Board

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - sveske
v. intr. - snerpe

2.
v. tr. - beskære
v. intr. - skære bort
n. - oprense

idioms:

• pruning hook    gartnerkrog
• pruning knife    gartnerkniv

Nederlands (Dutch)
(be)snoeien, gedroogde pruim

Français (French)
1.
n. - (Culin) pruneau
v. intr. - faire la grimace, faire une grimace de dégoût

2.
v. tr. - (Hort) tailler (arbre)
v. intr. - élaguer, (fig) élaguer, réduire (un budget, des dépenses)
n. - taille (arbre, buisson)

idioms:

• pruning hook    émondoir, cisailles
• pruning knife    serpe, serpette

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - getrocknete Pflaume
v. - affektiert tun oder reden

2.
v. - beschneiden, reduzieren, kürzen
n. - Beschneiden

idioms:

• pruning hook    Heckensichel
• pruning knife    Baummesser

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ξερό δαμάσκηνο
v. - κλαδεύω, καθαρίζω, (μτφ.) περικόπτω, ψαλιδίζω

idioms:

• pruning hook    κλαδευτήρι
• pruning knife    κλαδευτήρι

Italiano (Italian)
sfoltire, potare, prugna secca

idioms:

• pruning hook/knife    roncola

Português (Portuguese)
n. - ameixa seca (f), pessoa desagradável (f) (coloq.)
v. - podar

idioms:

• pruning hook/knife    podadeira

Русский (Russian)
обрезать, подрезать, слива, чернослив

idioms:

• pruning hook/knife    секатор, садовый нож

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - ciruela pasa, ciruela seca
v. intr. - poner una expresión facial que exhibe disgusto o enojo

2.
v. tr. - podar
v. intr. - reducir, escamondar, cortar
n. - poda

idioms:

• pruning hook    podadera
• pruning knife    podadera

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - katrinplommon, mörk purpurfärg
v. - beskära, skära ner, klippa

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 梅干, 洋李脯, 傻瓜, 乏味的人, 讨厌的人, 深紫红色, 整枝, 减少, 删除

idioms:

• pruning hook    修枝刀
• pruning knife    修枝刀

2. 修剪, 修整, 删除, 剪去, 剪除, 削减, 整枝, 减少

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 梅幹, 洋李脯, 傻瓜, 乏味的人, 討厭的人, 深紫紅色
v. intr. - 整枝, 減少, 刪除

idioms:

• pruning hook    修枝刀
• pruning knife    修枝刀

2.
v. tr. - 修剪, 修整, 刪除, 剪去, 剪除, 削減
v. intr. - 整枝, 減少, 刪除

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 서양자두, 말린 자두
v. intr. - 기분이 좋지 않음을 얼굴에 드러내다

2.
v. tr. - (나뭇가지를) 치다
v. intr. - (불필요한 부분)을 제거하다
n. - 가지치기의 예

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - プルーン, ばか者, 間抜け, スモモ
v. - 刈り込む, 刈り取る, 簡潔にする, …から取り除く, 切り取る

idioms:

• pruning hook/knife    刈り込み鎌

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) خوخ مجفف (فعل) شذب, قلم, نقح‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮שזיף מיובש, טיפש, בלתי-אהוב‬
v. intr. - ‮עיקם את פניו בסלידה, זעף‬
v. tr. - ‮חתך, גזם‬
v. intr. - ‮סילק את המיותר או הלא-רצוי‬
n. - ‮גיזום, חיתוך‬

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