Dinosaur Egg Brand
Ripe Dinosaur Egg Plums
Unripe Dinosaur Egg Plums
Overripe Dinosaur Egg Plum
Dapple Dandy Pluots aka Dinosaur Egg Plums
Stem Indentation on the Shoulder
Plum + Apricot = Plumcot
One of my favorite fruits is the super sweet and flavorful "Dapple Dandy" pluot. Also referred to as the "Dinosaur Egg" plum, coined by the Jackson Family of Kingsburg Orchards in California (the family owns the trademark too).
A "pluot" or "interspecific plum" is a cross between a plum and apricot. Very similar to "plumcots", though the differences escape me. There are approximately 25 pluot varieties and no... they are not genetically modified.
Usually you need to ripen these yourself on your kitchen counter because it's hard to find these ripe in supermarkets. Although paying a hefty price in some stores will get you tree ripened fruit that can be eaten right away.Worth every penny if you can spare the change.
How to buy Dinosaur Egg plums:
Ripe Dinosaur Egg plums have a deep pink color, press your thumb against the side of the fruit, the flesh should feel soft not mushy. Stem indentations on the shoulders is perfectly normal, although brown discoloration is a sign of poor quality. Firm fruit is tasteless and will need a few days to ripen. Sampling is always best.
The chalky white powder on plums is called "bloom" and it's presence is a good sign that the fruit hasn't been handled too much from orchard to store. Please check out all my reference photos included in this post.
Ripen plums and pluots at room temperature (not in plastic), they need to breathe. Do not store in direct sunlight or extremely warm areas, this will cause the fruit to mold and spoil rather quickly. I have lost a small fortune learning this lesson. Once the fruit is ripe put it in your refrigerator.
More wonderful varieties of pluots
- Mango Tango
- Flavor Grenade
- Raspberry Jewel
- Flavor Queen
Plum Powder a sign of Freshness is called "Bloom"
Pluot and Plumcot are not exactly the same. They were developed by Floyd Zaiger. He developed Plumcot first which is 50% plum and 50% apricot. It was not a commercial success. Then he developed Pluot which is 70% plum and 30% apricot. So it is not accurate saying that Pluot are Plumcot. They are 2 different fruits.
ReplyDeleteThanks for contributing to my blog. You are correct plumcots and pluots do slightly differ though it was Luther Burbank who bred the plumcot over 100 years ago. Floyd Zaiger bred the plumcot with a plum to create the pluot. Not all varieties of pluots are a 75%/25% or 60%/40% mix. This being a blog to help consumers understand and pick fruit competently I do not generally discuss the in-depth specifics of each variety. But I always welcome the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteCan you grow Dino egg plums from the seed even if it has been flash frooze.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for visiting my blog. I am going to say it isn't possible to use seeds that have been "flash frozen". Usually grafting or budding methods are used today for faster results. Below I have added links for a more detailed explanation to your question:
ReplyDeleteGRAFTING AND BUDDING FRUIT TREES http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/dg0532.html
Fruit Trees : How to Chip Bud Fruit Trees http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q61po7ZzPA
Fruitwise apple tree grafting, the saddle graft http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UC5Dr3tWDc