How can plums be kept fresh so they last longer?

The plum is the fruit of the plant plum in the genus Prunus of the Rosaceae family, also known as Jiaqingzi, Yuhuang plum, mountain plum, etc. It usually ripens between July and August, plump and round, delicate and translucent, beautiful in form, sweet in taste, and rich in nutrients. It has the effects of tonifying the middle and boosting qi, nourishing yin and promoting fluid production, lubricating the intestines to relieve constipation, and smoothing the skin. Now let us take a look at how plums can be kept fresh for a long time!

When do plums ripen?

Different varieties of plums ripen at different times. Generally, the earliest varieties can ripen in May to June, and early-maturing varieties begin to appear on the market in early June, but the best-tasting varieties usually ripen between August and September. Plums are cultivated in every province and region of China, mainly produced in Liaoning, Jilin, Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Taiwan, China.

How are plums kept fresh and stored?

1. Ice cellar storage: Spread crushed ice evenly over the bottom of the cellar, then place the pre-cooled fruit baskets on the ice and stack them. Fill the spaces between layers with crushed ice, and fill the spaces between stacks with crushed ice as well. After stacking, cover the fruit stacks with crushed ice, then cover them with plastic film, and on top of the film pile sawdust or other insulating materials 70 to 100 cm thick. Be sure to keep the cellar door closed, and it is best to control the cellar temperature at 0 to 1 degrees Celsius. When entering or leaving the cellar, close the door quickly behind you. Plums stored in mid-to-late August can last until the Start of Winter and can then be transferred to an ordinary cellar for continued storage, until they are supplied to the market at Spring Festival.

2. Controlled atmosphere storage

① Controlled atmosphere storage: Use polyethylene film bags 0.025 mm thick to seal and store plums. Under conditions of an air temperature of 0 to 1 degrees Celsius, a carbon dioxide content of 7% to 8%, and an oxygen content of 1% to 3%, they can be stored for 70 days.

② Small-package cold storage: Remove the stems from the plums, discard diseased, insect-damaged, injured and rotten fruit, then put them into small polyethylene film bags, 1 to 1.5 kg per bag. After sealing, they can be kept for 2 to 3 months under a temperature condition of minus one degree.

Tips for selecting plums

1. Color: Plums that are dark red or purple-red can be eaten directly. Those that are pale and slightly greenish and glossy are generally 80% ripe. If you are going to eat them the same day, you can buy dark red ones. If you need to eat them after 2 days, you can choose ones that are slightly greenish and glossy.

2. Firmness: Plums with a very hard exterior are unripe plums. Those that are firm but slightly soft are relatively well ripened. Those that are overripe are sunken or even indented. If juice overflows, it indicates that the fruit has already spoiled.

3. Smell: Plums have a rather unique fragrance. Unripe plums smell like nothing. Those with a faint fresh fragrance on the outside are ripe plums, and plums with a very strong fragrance on the outside indicate that they are overripe.

4. Flesh: Plum fruits are relatively small. The flesh of unripe plums is rather dry and astringent and somewhat green in color. Ripe plums generally have sweeter, more fragrant and juicier flesh. The flesh of unripe plums tastes slightly bitter.

What are the benefits of eating plums?

1. Promote digestion: Plums can promote the secretion of gastric acid and gastric digestive enzymes, and have the effect of increasing gastrointestinal peristalsis, thereby promoting digestion and increasing appetite. They are a good dietary therapy product for people with insufficient gastric acid, post-meal bloating, and constipation.

2. Clear the liver and promote water metabolism: Plum flesh contains a variety of amino acids, such as glutamine, serine, glycine, proline, etc. Eating them raw is of great benefit in treating ascites due to cirrhosis.

3. Promote water metabolism and lower blood pressure: Plum kernels contain amygdalin and a large amount of fatty oil, have a significant effect in promoting water metabolism and lowering blood pressure, and can also accelerate intestinal peristalsis and promote the excretion of dry stool. They also have the effect of relieving cough and reducing phlegm.

4. Delay aging: After dehydration, plums have a very high dietary fiber content and can be used to help regulate digestive system function. They also contain a variety of antioxidants and have the effect of delaying aging.

5. Improve anemia: Plums are rich in vitamin B12 and can be used to treat and prevent vitamin B12 deficiency. Moreover, vitamin B12 has the effect of promoting the regeneration of hemoglobin, and moderate consumption is of great benefit to people with anemia.