I love plums. Juicy, sweet, floral. Their soft skins are tinged with acidity. Their character is somewhere between the headiness of a pear and the muskiness of a melon, with a rich juice that brings to mind fresh cherries. Plums have a hint of concentrated fruit flavor. There is a reason they were made into intense, chewy prunes. The plum has potential. It can be eaten straight out of hand and the experience sparks a wealth of ideas: from pairing them with beets to exploring them with blood sausage. The only caveat is that they need to be perfectly ripe, firm—not flabby, bursting with juice, and sweet enough to balance the sharp bite of the skins. There’s nothing worse than a mealy plum. They are the mushy lobster tail of stone fruits. But a perfectly ripe, succulent plum is an indulgence to be savored slowly.
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