what you should know

In 1885, Luther Burbank imported twelve plum varieties from Japan. He bred them together and with varieties native to America.

Things worked out. Burbank released 100 new plums during his lifetime. His best known, the Santa Rosa, was introduced in 1907 and was the most widely grown plum in the U.S. until the 1970s.

cornerstone Why the history? Pretty much every plum (and pluot) in the grocery store has some Santa Rosa in it. These "Japanese" plums, almost all of which come from California, tend to be larger and more resilient than the prunes, the gages and the other "European" plums that can be found scattered in orchards across the states.

looks like sugar in a plum Fresh plums are notoriously tough to gauge for ripeness. Because plums come in all shades, color won't help you much. Avoid shriveled plums, but don't shy away from rings around the stem end, as this can be a sign of high sugar in a plum.

firm with give Unless you really trust the produce guys, don't buy soft plums from the store. Look for firm -- but not hard -- plums with just a little give. Bring them home and put them in a paper bag on the counter for a day or two to ripen. Then, store them in the icebox.

ok bloom That chalky white powder on plums is completely natural. It's called the bloom, and its presence is a good sign that a plum hasn't been handled too much from orchard to store.

what you need

In the need of something to pit those stubborn cling-stone plums? Look no further.

One of Chip's favorite books -- period -- is Edward Bunyard's classic treatise on fruit, Anatomy of Dessert.

If you're planning to make jam, you're definitely going to need some of these.

Wild Pacific plums grow in northern California and southern Oregon. Stringer's Orchard, which sits on the edge of Goose Lake at the border of the two states, use the plums to make delicious preserves, wines and brandy.

coming soon: Next summer, look for Chip's book on the history of pluots, the popular plum-apricot hybrds. It's called "The Perfect Fruit" and it's due out in July 2009. To sign up for news and updates on the book, send an email to pluotbook@gmail.com.

what you do

Simple, grilled plums are so versatile. Sprinkle them with salt and serve with meat as a side. Sprinkle them with sugar and serve as dessert.

This plum barbecue sauce adds a sweet fullness to grilled chicken or pork. (Not feeling the sauce? Try this instead.)

Plums are a natural companion to other fruits. We are especially fond of them with pears and blackberries.

This maple plum crumble is a sweet way to use plums. The grade B maple syrup gives the crumble an especially rich flavor.

In the mood for baking? We recommend two recipes from Cook & Eat: this plum cardamom loaf and these plum bars.

Featured: Take a savory fruit salad, jettison the lettuce and put the whole thing on a pizza crust. That's what Olga of Mango & Tomato did for this week's Root Source Challenge. Her pizza with plums, onions, gorgonzola and pine nuts is our featured recipe.