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Prunes, a.k.a. dried plums, may finally be getting their "just desserts", thanks to new twenty-first century marketing and advertising techniques promoting prunes as a confection or natural candy with superior nutritional benefits. Ready-to-eat from the package or combined in a favorite recipe, prunes taste good and they are good for you. Creativity abounds with avant guard recipes, such as Feta Pick-Up Sticks with Drizzled Honey or an East Meets West Stir fry featuring none other than-you guessed it; pork loin and prunes.

Alexander the Great launched his own marketing campaign when he brought the prune plum from Persia to Greece for cultivating there. News of the tasty fruit spread quickly and soon the prune plum arrived in Europe then in Hungary it was discovered that they could be dried and preserved without the fear they would ferment or spoil. Circa 1850 during the time of the California Gold Rush, this gem of a fruit was imported from France to the American West finding a new home in the rich, fertile California soil.

Prunes are replete with vitamins and nutrition. Second to none in the fruit orchard, they contain more Vitamin A & B, iron and copper than any other fruit. Also count on Prunes to help fulfill the daily quota for calcium, phosphorus, potassium and antioxidants. The well known and already much publicized natural laxative effects of prunes is derived not from the prune bulk but from the soluble substance rendered in the form of fibrous prune juice. By supporting the digestive tract, prunes and prune juice enable improved digestive and immune system health

Naturally high in sugar content yes, but of the monosaccharide variety that is easily and quickly absorbed by the body. Raw or cooked, prunes can immediately restore hemoglobin and cell count, a perfect panacea for those suffering from anemia. Prunes are unaffected by processing, cooking, or even combining them with other ingredients. No matter what form, prunes equal a quick energy source or pick-me-up and are great for suppressing the appetite between meals due to their high fiber content. A near perfect snack for the overweight or diet conscious in our society.

About 75,000 acres of the best California orchard acres supports the prune industry in the United States. The deciduous trees lay dormant in the winter then in the spring they begin a short lived but beautiful flower blossom, then harvesting of the fruit around mid August. Modern machinery and techniques that shake the fruit from the trees ensures a quick and efficient harvest. The prune plums are dehydrated using sensitive thermostats to maintain the integrity of the product that is then packed and ready for soonest transport to market in your neighborhood.

Learn more about this author, Sharon Ruth Hill.
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