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By: Elizabeth J. Fichtner, PhD, Farm Advisor, UCCE Tulare <\/span>County Photo By: Elizabeth J Fichtner PhD.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>When the almonds have finished blooming in late February, Tulare County and the Ivanhoe region can look forward to the next <\/span>floral display<\/span> in mid-March when <\/span>the local prunes bloom<\/span> (Figure 1)<\/span>. Like almonds, the flower buds of prunes open before the vegetative buds leaf out, producing a dramatic<\/span> display of <\/span>white <\/span>flowers. <\/span>Each flower contains both female and male parts<\/span> (Figure 2)<\/span>. The common variety, \u2018French\u2019, is self-compatible meaning that the poll<\/span>en produced on the tree can fertilize the female flower parts on the same tree<\/span> and even in the same flower<\/span>. <\/span>Because of this compatibility, honeybees are not needed for pollination; however, some beekeepers store hives near prune orchards after almond bloom is complete. The bees may be seen collecting nectar from prune blossoms, thus providing sustenance for<\/span> bee colonies<\/span>. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Prune orchards produce their first economic crop approximately 4-6 years after planting<\/span>; however, f<\/span>ull production isn\u2019t realized until about 10-12 years <\/span>later. Al<\/span>though prunes can be consumed as a fresh fruit, the majority <\/span>are<\/span> processed for consumption as a dried product. <\/span>Each tree may produce 150-300 pounds of fresh fruit and three pounds of fresh fruit yield approximately one pound of dried fruit. <\/span>While fresh fruit like peaches, nectarines, and plums are harvested by hand to prevent bruising, prunes <\/span>are<\/span> harvested by machine<\/span> using the same shaker technology as the pistachio industry. Prunes are shaken from the tree and collected on a catch-frame so the fruit never touch the ground. <\/span>The fruit are<\/span> then elevated into bins along chains that allow smaller, non-commercial-sized fruit to drop to the ground. After harvest<\/span>,<\/span> prunes are transported to dehydrators where they are washed and dried in ovens to allow for long term storage.<\/span> Upon demand, the dehydrated prunes and reconstituted for sale and consumers can find them in stores as a pitted product, generally in the baking section<\/span> near raisons<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Tulare County prune acreage accounts for approximately 5% of California\u2019s 40,000 acres in production<\/span>. California<\/span>\u2019s 600 prune growers are responsible for <\/span>about 70% of <\/span>global production. Other world producers include France, Chile, and Argentina. Prunes have the unique quality of being able to be dried whole without fermentation occurring around the pit. They have a very high sugar content which facilitates dryi<\/span>ng<\/span> and contributes to the sweetness of the product.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Prunes are a sweet and nutritious snack that make a valuable addition to the pantry. They are a low glycemic index fruit; much of the sweetness comes from sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, in the fruit. Additionally<\/span>, <\/span>prunes are a good source of fiber, minerals, and antioxidants. <\/span>They have long been hailed as a cure for constipation, but they are also beneficial for gut health. Research studies indicate that a snack of four to six prunes a day may have health benefits. <\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By: Elizabeth J. Fichtner, PhD, Farm Advisor, UCCE Tulare County Photo By: Elizabeth J Fichtner PhD. When the almonds have finished blooming in late February, Tulare County and the Ivanhoe region can look forward to the next floral display in mid-March when the local prunes bloom (Figure 1). Like almonds, the flower buds […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":3919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[194,193,28],"class_list":["post-3596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-elizabeth-phd-fichtner","tag-prunes","tag-tulare-county","post_format-post-format-image"],"yoast_head":"\n