Where Do Prunes Come From?

There really is no such fruit as the prune. A prune is a kind of sweet plum that can be dried out without removing its pit. These plums make good dried fruits because they’re high in iron and vitamins.

Most of the plums that are to become prunes are grown in California and other western states.

Seven years after planting, prune plum trees begin to bear fruit. The ripe fruit either falls from the tree in August or September or is gently shaken off. It is washed then dried with hot air for 14 to 24 hours. After two weeks of curing, they are graded by size, washed, and packed to be sold.

The United States produces more than a half-million tons of prunes each year!