Sweet-Tart Dried Plums

I don’t like to call them prunes, because immediately what people think when they hear that, is…well, you know. Older folks like to eat them, and that’s about it. Well, that’s what most people think anyway. Doesn’t “dried plums” just sound more appetizing anyway?

The truth is, prunes are helpful to relieve and regulate elimination, but that is by no means all! Dried plums also promote iron absorption in our bodies, and boosting bone health.

Bone Health?
The real bone magic in prunes is their high concentration of polyphenols. These are powerful antioxidants that can help reduce bone loss.  And prunes are a good source of boron and copper, two trace minerals important in the formation of bones!

Iron Absorption?
Prunes not only contain healthy levels of iron within themselves, but the vitamin C that becomes present during the drying process of the plums makes it much more absorbable to our bodies, allowing us to get the full benefit.

On top of that, these dried plums are particularly good. They aren’t the tasteless, gross mush-balls you can buy in a box at the store. They aren’t just unbearably sweet. This recipe makes dried plums with a little bit of kick! Tangy and tart, these have a lot more character than you would ever expect, and are a lot of fun to eat!

Ingredients:
Stanley plums! Yep, that’s it!

Directions:
If you’d like, you can rinse your plums off in the sink. Just to get off any dust, dirt, or little bug intruders. Cut your plums in half, and remove the pits. Pop your thumb in the back of the half of plum on the outside and push, making the plum half invert.  This helps them dry quicker!

Before when I tried making these, I just halved the plums and put them skin side down on the drying racks. It took like three days for them to dry, and then they were super tough.Doing it this method -pushing the plums inside out- allowed me to get them how I wanted them in only 8 hours over night, no big deal…and they stayed chewy!

Place them skin down on the racks of your dehydrator. You can do this in your oven if you set it on the lowest setting, and watch them like a hawk, but I like the Excalibur Dehydrator the best. Although I don’t use my dehydrator every week, it’s one of my favorite kitchen tools because of the delicious and healthy treats it enables me to make for my family. (simple dried fruits, fruit leather, kale chips, jerky, “sun-dried” tomatoes…)

Once they are at the level of dryness you desire, you can simply store them in an airtight container, and eat them all year! Bon Apetite!