Plum.

A plum is a round or slightly oval stone fruit with smooth skin, often dark purple or red, sometimes yellow or green. A fresh one has a pale, dusty bloom on the skin that rubs off with your thumb. That's natural. The flesh is juicy and sweet, while the skin brings a sharp, tart edge, so each bite has both.

Plums continue to ripen after picking. A firm plum left on the counter for a day or two turns softer and sweeter. Ripe fruit gives slightly when pressed and smells fruity at the stem end.

Ways to use it

• Eat them fresh, whole or sliced, skin and all.
• Halve and stone them, then roast with a little sugar until soft and syrupy.
• Cook them down with sugar into a jam or a sauce for roast pork or duck.
• Slice into a cake batter or a tart before baking.

Storing it

Leave firm plums in a bowl at room temperature, away from fruit you want to keep firm. Once they ripen, move them to the fridge and eat them within a few days. Rinse just before eating.

Where it comes from

Grown to certified organic standards. The certificate for each lot is shown when you trace your pack.

Every pack will carry a lot code. Enter it on the Trace your pack page and you will see the farms in that lot, the harvest date and the certificate.