I'm a nutritionist, I studied nutrition in school for 4 years, and I've been practicing in the profession for 26 years. You think that would give me enough time to learn about every fruit and vegetable there is to know about. Not. A few years ago I walked into the local produce section and there was this funky spotted thing called a PLUOT. What the heck?!?!?!
The produce man told me it was a cross between a plum and an apricot. That sounded cool, given the fact that half the time I ever bought apricots they were mealy and I like to try new things. I loved the taste and they've become one of my favorite summer treats.
I learned some interesting things about pluots while researching this blog post.
1. Since pluots are a genetic cross-breed, they are actually a trademarked product of the company Zaiger's Genetics. Even though they are genetically cross-bred, they are NOT genetically modified. That is an entirely different agricultural technique.
2. Depending on how much plum and how much apricot is in the fruit, you have different names, including aprium and plumcot.
3. Sometimes, because they can be speckled, pluots are called dinosaur plums.
4. One medium pluot has 80 calories and no fat.
The type of pluot shown in the picture, what I have in my refrigerator right now, is called a Dapple Dandy.
I like to eat them plain. They're handy to throw in a bag for an afternoon snack! This week I've been cutting them up to put into my morning oatmeal. I've seen recipes where sliced, grilled pluots have been added to a barbecue meal.
If you're an adventurous eater, or just bored with the same old fruits, consider trying a pluot. They'll be in your store through the fall.