Delicious Math! Apricot + Plum = Pluot
Take a plum and an apricot, put them together, and what do you get? It depends! Pluots, apriums, apriplums and plumcots are all different kinds of plum-apricot hybrids… but what are the differences?
First-Generation Hybrids
A first-generation hybrid is one where a plum parent and an apricot parent are mixed. “Children” of these unions are known as plumcots or apriplums. These hybrids have existed for hundreds of years. These hybrids tend to show more plum than apricot traits.
Plumcots are available in many varieties, ranging from the very sweet, like Flavorosa and Flavor Royal, to average-flavored varieties like Flavor Fall. Some kinds of plumcots even exhibit different flavors, like Flavor Grenade, which has been compared to everything from apple to pineapple. Like their cousins, the plums, plumcots are often available in beautiful colors, and the flesh can be anywhere from yellow to bright red or purple, depending on the variety.
Later-Generation Hybrids
Pluots are a later-generation hybrid that also show more plum characteristics. The outside of the fruit closely resembles a plum, and the flavor is the only place where some apricot traits shine through. Like plumcots, pluots are available in many varieties. One of the most surprising to cut into is the Dapple Dandy, which looks mottled and brownish on the outside and has beautiful bright red or pink flesh. The Flavor Finale is a purple-red variety that resembles a traditional dark plum, but its flavor is complex and very delicious.
Apriums are a hybrid that are one fourth plum and three quarters apricot, making them the only hybrid that more closely resembles apricots. Available in the early fruit season, apriums are only available for a very short time. Apriums like Cot-N-Candy and Flavor Delight tend to exhibit plummy aftertastes, though the fruit itself resembles an apricot.
How to Use Them?
Aside from eating these hybrids raw, try them in any recipe calling for either plums or apricots. Here are some of our favorites:
- Mixed Berry Plum Crisp
- Roasted Plum Salad with Goat Cheese, Roast Chicken with Plums and Plum Crumble
- Apricot Tart
Image: ClayIrving
