Sugar Plum

Sugar Plums

Enjoy the naturally sweet flavour of Sugar Plums, an imported prune-style plum fruit known for its oval shape, purplish-blue skin, powdery white bloom and firm sweet flesh. Also known as prune plums, Italian prune plums, prune plums, Italian prune plums, European plums, Quetsche plums, prune fruit or fresh sugar plums, this fruit is enjoyed fresh, cooked, baked or dried into prunes.

Sugar Plums are different from soft, round juicy plums. They are usually more elongated, denser and firmer, with a small centre stone that separates more easily when ripe. The skin gives a light tangy contrast, while the flesh is sweet, firm and plum-like.

The name “Sugar Plum” can also refer to traditional plum candy or festive sugar-plum sweets, but this product is fresh plum fruit. It is not dried prune fruit and not a confectionery candy.

Origin: Imported. Country of origin may vary by shipment, including USA, China, South Africa and other seasonal plum-growing countries.

Sugar Plum Quick Facts

Taste and Texture

Sugar Plums have a firm, sweet and lightly tangy flavour. The flesh is denser and less watery than many round plums, making the fruit suitable for fresh eating as well as baking and cooking.

The skin is edible after washing and gives a gentle tart contrast to the sweeter flesh. A natural powdery bloom on the skin is normal and can be a sign that the fruit has not been over-handled.

• Imported prune-style plum
• Purple-blue skin with natural white bloom
• Firm yellow to greenish-yellow flesh
• Sweet, dense and lightly tangy
• Good for fresh eating, baking and jams
• Can be used as prune fruit when dried
• Best enjoyed ripe and slightly chilled

What First-Time Customers Should Expect

If you are trying Sugar Plums for the first time, expect a fresh plum fruit with a firmer bite and more concentrated sweetness than many juicy round plums. It is not candy and not a dried prune.

When ripe, the fruit becomes sweeter, more aromatic and easier to eat fresh. If it is still very firm, leave it at room temperature until it softens slightly, then refrigerate.

What Are Sugar Plums?

Sugar Plums are fresh prune-style plums with naturally concentrated sweetness. They are usually oval to oblong rather than round, with purple-blue skin, a natural waxy bloom and firm sweet flesh.

Several prune-type plums may be sold under the sugar plum name, including Italian prune plums, French prune plums, European plums and Quetsche-style plums. They are multipurpose fruits that can be eaten fresh, cooked into jam, baked into desserts or dried into prunes.

Sugar Plum, Plum Candy and Traditional Sugar Plums

The word sugar plum can be confusing. In fruit shops, Sugar Plums usually refer to fresh prune-style plum fruit. In confectionery, sugar plum can refer to a type of plum candy or festive sweet made with dried fruit, nuts, sugar and spices.

This product is fresh fruit. It can be enjoyed like a plum, sliced for snacks, cooked into compote or dried into prunes. It is not a ready-to-eat candy product.

Prune Fruit and Sugar in Prunes

Prune fruit usually refers to plums that are suitable for drying into prunes. Fresh Sugar Plums are eaten as fresh plums, while prunes are dried plums.

The sugar in prunes is more concentrated because drying removes water from the fresh fruit. This means dried prunes contain more calories and sugar by weight than fresh plums. Fresh Sugar Plums still taste sweet, but they are not as concentrated as dried prunes.

Brix and Sweetness

Sugar Plums are known for naturally concentrated sweetness, especially when fully ripe. Prune-style plums are often chosen for drying because they have firm flesh and enough natural sugar to make good dried prunes.

There is no single fixed Brix for all Sugar Plums because the name can cover several prune-style plum varieties and origins. Brix changes by variety, grower, weather, harvest timing, ripeness, storage and shipment. Exact Brix should only be treated as confirmed when shown on the current carton, label or supplier information.

Season Availability in Singapore

Sugar Plums are seasonal imported fruits. Because supply can come from different countries, Singapore availability depends on origin, shipment timing and batch quality.

USA and other Northern Hemisphere prune-style plums are usually around late summer to early autumn, often August to September. South African plums are Southern Hemisphere fruit and are usually around December to March. Actual availability may shift depending on weather, variety and import schedule.

Sugar Plums vs Regular Plums vs Prunes

Sugar Plums are fresh prune-style plums. Regular plums can be rounder, juicier and more varied in colour, while prunes are dried plums.

How to Choose Sugar Plums

Choose Sugar Plums with smooth purple-blue skin, a fresh powdery bloom, good weight and no mould, leaking juice or deep bruises. The fruit should feel firm with slight give when ripe.

If the fruit is still very firm, leave it at room temperature in a single layer until it softens slightly. Once ripe, refrigerate and enjoy within a few days.

How to Eat Sugar Plums

Wash the fruit gently before eating. Sugar Plums can be eaten fresh like regular plums, sliced around the centre stone, or cooked into desserts.

When fully ripe, the stone may separate more easily from the flesh. The skin is edible and gives a light tangy contrast to the sweet flesh.

• Wash gently before eating
• Eat fresh as a sweet plum snack
• Slice around the centre stone
• Serve chilled once ripe
• Add to fruit platters and salads
• Pair with cheese, yogurt, nuts or granola
• Cook into jams, compotes, marmalades or sauces
• Bake into tarts, cakes and crumbles
• Dry into prunes if suitable and properly prepared
• Avoid eating or swallowing the hard centre stone

Sugar Plum Nutrition

Approximate values per 100g of raw plum. These are general plum nutrition values and are not specific lab-tested values for the current Sugar Plum batch. Exact values may vary depending on fruit size, variety, sweetness, ripeness and origin.

Sugar Plum Benefits

Sugar Plum benefits are often discussed because fresh plums naturally contain water, fruit sugars, dietary fibre, vitamin C and natural plant pigments. Sugar Plums can be enjoyed as fresh stone fruit as part of a balanced diet.

Fresh plums should not be treated as medicine. They should not be used to claim weight loss, blood pressure control, blood production, disease prevention, nervous system support or treatment of health conditions.

Serving Ideas

• Fresh chilled Sugar Plums
• Sugar Plum fruit platter
• Prune-style plum snack bowl
• Sugar Plum slices with yogurt
• Fresh plum with cheese and crackers
• Sugar Plum jam or marmalade
• Plum compote for pancakes or waffles
• Fresh plum salad with herbs
• Baked Sugar Plum tart or crumble
• Sweet and savoury salads with fresh plum pieces

Storage and Handling Guide

Keep firm Sugar Plums at room temperature in a single layer until they soften slightly and become more aromatic. Once ripe, refrigerate and eat within 3 to 5 days for the best quality.

Do not wash before storage. Wash only before eating. Cut fruit should be covered, refrigerated and eaten soon.

• Ripen firm fruit at room temperature
• Keep in a single layer away from direct sunlight
• Refrigerate once ripe
• Eat ripe fruit within 3 to 5 days
• Do not wash before storage
• Wash only before eating
• Handle gently to avoid bruising
• Store cut fruit covered in the refrigerator
• Discard if mouldy, leaking, fermented-smelling or badly bruised