Amazing Health Benefits of Pluot And Nutritional Value

What is a Pluot?

Pluot is sweet with a strong flavor and has a very juicy pulp. It is a hybrid between the plum tree and apricot. The name “pluot” comes from the two fruits that make up this unusual hybrid, Plums, and Apricots. Pluot tends to show more plum characteristics than apricot characteristics, based on the method of hybridization.

Rich in dietary fiber, dried pluots support a healthy digestive system. They are also a rich source of immunity-boosting vitamins A & C, to help prevent colds and illnesses. Vitamin C promotes wound healing, and vitamin A supports eye health by preventing cataracts and reducing the risk for macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness among older adults. Dried pluots are also plentiful in antioxidants, the protective compounds that neutralize harmful free radicals. Research suggests that antioxidants may lower the risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.

History Of Pluot

The strawberries are ripening on the vine and the apple trees are covered with blossoms being busily pollinated by our local pollinators. The fruit season is here! To celebrate, we sat down with Marcel Kluetz, General Manager of Collins Family Orchards, to learn more about the interesting varieties they grow on their farm. Collins Family Orchards is a fourth-generation family farm in Selah, WA. Calvin Collins leads the charge with over forty years of experience.

The farm aims to implement the best farming practices to keep the trees and land healthy, productive and sustainable. Says Marcel, “We prune our trees and thin the fruit set extensively; our goal is quality, not quantity.” Over 50 fruits are grown on the Collins’ 63-acre farm. At 21 Acres Farm Market, we have a nearly year-round supply of fruit from Collins.

Starting with cherries in June, (Jen loves the Sonata), through the summer months with apricots, plums, peaches, and hybrids, then on to pears and apples, which close the circle back to cherries. Collins shares a controlled atmosphere warehouse with other local farms to store their apples and pears in the best condition. The Pink Lady apples in the Farm Market this spring came from this warehouse and kept especially well. ‘Hybrid’ may be common lingo for a car today, but most of us over 30 relate the term to biology class and experiments with different plants, like peas.

Some hybrids are produced “through grafting and natural limb mutations where a tree will take on a different type of fruit on just one branch, then produce a hybrid fruit, usually due to cross-pollination,” explains Marcel. (Look for the grafted apple and pear trees near the entrance to the Farm Market for an example). Here is where things get complicated – at least in the name. Luther Burbank developed the first plum imposter (a straight plum-apricot cross) in the 1800s.

Any cross of these two fruits is technically a plumcot. However, as experiments progressed and different percentages of each fruit were bred over several generations, the names became more nuanced. Floyd Zaiger, a graduate of the University of California, Davis, and resident of Modesto, California developed and trademarked Pluot in the 1980s. Zaiger crossed a plumcot with a plum resulting in a pluot…3/5 plum and 2/5 apricot.

The strawberries are ripening on the vine and the apple trees are covered with blossoms being busily pollinated by our local pollinators. The fruit season is here! To celebrate, we sat down with Marcel Kluetz, General Manager of Collins Family Orchards, to learn more about the interesting varieties they grow on their farm.

Collins Family Orchards is a fourth-generation family farm in Selah, WA. Calvin Collins leads the charge with over forty years of experience.

The farm aims to implement the best farming practices to keep the trees and land healthy, productive and sustainable. Says Marcel, “We prune our trees and thin the fruit set extensively; our goal is quality, not quantity.” Over 50 fruits are grown on the Collins’ 63-acre farm. At 21 Acres Farm Market, we have a nearly year-round supply of fruit from Collins. Starting with cherries in June, (Jen loves the Sonata), through the summer months with apricots, plums, peaches, and hybrids, then on to pears and apples, which close the circle back to cherries.

Collins shares a controlled atmosphere warehouse with other local farms to store their apples and pears in the best condition. The Pink Lady apples in the Farm Market this spring came from this warehouse and kept especially well. ‘Hybrid’ may be common lingo for a car today, but most of us over 30 relate the term to biology class and experiments with different plants, like peas.

Some hybrids are produced “through grafting and natural limb mutations where a tree will take on a different type of fruit on just one branch, then produce a hybrid fruit, usually due to cross-pollination,” explains Marcel. (Look for the grafted apple and pear trees near the entrance to the Farm Market for an example). Here is where things get complicated – at least in the name. Luther Burbank developed the first plum imposter (a straight plum-apricot cross) in the 1800s.

Any cross of these two fruits is technically a plumcot. However, as experiments progressed and different percentages of each fruit were bred over several generations, the names became more nuanced. Floyd Zaiger, a graduate of the University of California, Davis, and resident of Modesto, California developed and trademarked Pluot in the 1980s. Zaiger crossed a plumcot with a plum resulting in a pluot…3/5 plum and 2/5 apricot.

Pluot Tree

The tree requires growing conditions similar to the plum tree. A pluot tree flowers in spring and bears fruit in summer. They require adequate drainage and not alkaline soil. Its tree has four different varieties. That is new Dapple Dandy, Flavor Queen, Flavor King, and Flavor Supreme. All of the four differ from fruit skin color. It is a self-fertile tree that pollinates early ripening Japanese plums.

Pluot season is mid to late summer but they’re often available through October.

How to grow pluot?

Loosen the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches in the fall. Mix limestone with the soil to raise PH above 6.5. Dig a hole about 2 inches deep and place the pluot pit in the hole. Space the hole at least 20 feet apart if you plant more than one pluot pit.

Water the pluot pit in the spring after the last expected frost. Apply mulch around when the seedling is 6 inches at height. Add fertilizer in the early spring of the second year.

Nutrition Value of Pluot

Amount per 100gAmount per 100g

• Calories 60.6g
• Sodium 1 mg
• Potassium 226 mg
• Total Carbs 19 g
• Dietary Fiber 3 g
• Sugars 15 g
• Protein 1 g
• Vitamin A 6% RDA
• Vitamin C 20% RDA

Pluot Fruit

Amazing Health Benefits of Pluot

1. Regulates Blood Sugar

The fiber content in Pluot slows the absorption of blood sugar into the bloodstream which prevents sugar crashes, sugar cravings, and mood swings.

2. Aids in Digestion

Pluot is rich in fiber content which helps to bulk up the stool and facilitate smooth digestion of the food. It can speed up the digestive process, regulate bowel movements, and keep the gastrointestinal system healthy. Fiber also reduces constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and cramping, along with more serious conditions like Crohn’s disease, gastric ulcers, and colon cancer.

3. Boosts Immunity

Pluot is rich in Vitamin C and helps boost immunity. Vitamin C stimulates the production of white blood vessels, which are mainline of defense against foreign substances and dangerous pathogens in the body.

4. Wound Healing

Vitamin C in pluot regulates metabolism and increases the speed at which new tissues develop and heal the wounds. It is an important part of scar tissue, and also plays an integral role in the production of muscle tissue, cartilage, dental tissue, skin, tendons, and blood vessels.

5. Reduces Cancer Risk

Pluot is rich in antioxidants that seek and neutralize free radicals in the body, which are the dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism which can lead to cancer.

6. Improves Vision

Pluots are rich in vitamin A which can break down into beta carotene when the body needs this important antioxidant, meaning that it helps to boost vision, prevent macular degeneration.

7. Regulates Blood Pressure

Pluots are high in potassium and low in sodium, which lowers blood pressure. Potassium acts as a vasodilator and helps reduce strain on blood vessels thereby reducing the blood pressure.

8. Skin Care

Vitamin C in pluots stimulates the production of collagen an essential protein found in the skin. It helps with skin elasticity and this helps prevent wrinkles. The antioxidants neutralize free radicals that may cause dark spots and blemishes.

Pluot Recipes

How do you cook pluots?

• Grilled– cut pluots in half and brush with raw honey and Dijon mustard. Grill both sides until brown. Also, you can grill them with salt and cayenne pepper if you’re planning on serving as a side dish.
• Glazed– slice pluots in half and place them in a pie pan. Spoon apricot jam or marmalade on top of the pluots. Broil until bubbly and browned. You can eat them with your plain yogurt.
• In salads– dice pluots and add to your usual salad to add flavor. Use balsamic vinaigrette
• In salsa– substitute tomatoes with chopped up pluots. Mix with lime juice, chilies, onion, and cilantro

Broiled Apriums With Cardamom Creme Fraiche

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients 

• 1 cup creme fraiche
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 4 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 8 apriums (about 1 pound), halved and pitted
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Procedure

1. One hour before serving, beat the creme fraiche, granulated sugar, and cardamom in a medium bowl with a fork until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Heat the broiler to high and arrange the rack in the upper third of your oven. Arrange the apriums cut side up in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the brown sugar over each aprium half and dab with butter. Broil until the apriums just begin to char, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Arrange four aprium halves in each of four serving bowls and put a dollop of creme fraiche on each. Serve immediately.

Pluot Tartlets

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients 

• 4 pluots (about 3/4 pound), pitted and cut in 1/4-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 8 ounces frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 8 teaspoons plum or apricot jam

Procedure 

1. Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the fruit with sugar and allspice.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry until 1/8-inch thick and cut out eight 4-inch circles, gathering remnants and re-rolling the pastry if necessary.
5. Arrange the pastry discs on a lightly greased baking sheet and brush them with 1 teaspoon jam each. Curl the edges in to form a 1/2-inch border and arrange four to five pluot slices in each cup, overlapping them slightly.
6. Bake the tartlets for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Cool on a rack and serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Pluot Salsa

Makes 6 to 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoon lime juice (1/2 large lime)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 pound pluots (about six), pitted and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion (about 1/4 medium onion, or two shallots)
• 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 red Thai chilies, chopped
• Pinch of ground cumin
• Salt
• Ground white pepper

Procedure

In a large bowl, mix the lime juice and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Toss in the remaining ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Pluot Jam

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ripe pluots
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
• 3 tablespoons raw honey
• 1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
• 4 teaspoons (or more) balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or Himalayan salt
• 1 tablespoon (or more) lemon juice
• Pinch of black pepper

Procedure

• Place pluots, honey, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon peel, rosemary, salt and pinch of pepper in a small saucepan.
• Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the fruit has broken down and the mixture is thick, stirring occasionally about 20 minutes.
• Cool. Adjust seasonings. Add chives.

Frequent Asked Questions About Pluots

What is the main difference between a plumcot and pluot?

A plumcot is a hybrid fruit of plum and apricot. Whereas a pluot is a fruit which is a plum-apricot cross. Pluot has more plum characteristics than those of apricots.

What is the relation of Pluots and diabetes?

Pluots contain high sugar levels thus it can help one with type 2 diabetes. Some people say that it can cause high sugar levels in diabetes. However, it is still not scientifically proven so. What is the main difference between a plumcot and pluot?

Aplumcot is a hybrid fruit of plum and apricot. Whereas a pluot is a fruit which is a plum-apricot cross. Pluot has more plum characteristics than those of apricots.

What is the relation of Pluots and diabetes?

Pluots contain high sugar levels thus it can help one with type 2 diabetes. Some people say that it can cause high sugar levels in diabetes. However, it is still not scientifically proven so.

Is Pluot genetically modified?

No. They are a result of natural breeding. A combination of apricot and plums results in baby apriums or plumcots. The pluot is a cross-breeding of the two with it having more plum characteristics.

What is a pluot taste like?

The fruit has sweet taste a little bit more than plum taste.

How do you make a pluot?

• Loosen the soil to a depth of at least six inches in the fall before the first frost.
• Dig a hole in the planting site about 2 inches deep.
• Water the pluot pit in the spring after the last expected frost.
• Apply a 1-inch layer of mulch around the pluot seedling when it reaches a height of 6 inches.

Do you refrigerate pluots?

Before ripening the fruits should not be refrigerated as these will slow the ripening process. Store them at room temperature to ripen and later you can refrigerate them.

Are pluots acidic?

No. Instead they carry a sweet juicy taste

How many varieties does pluots have?

They are four, Dapple Dandy, Early Dapple, Flavor-Fall and Flavor Delight among many others.