Pluots: How to Select, Store, and Eat the Stone Fruit

A pluot is a hybrid fruit resulting from a cross between a plum and an apricot. In the late 1980s, California farmer and geneticist Floyd Zaiger developed the pluot using cross-pollination. In contrast to the plumcot, which is half apricot and half plum, the pluot is about twenty-five percent apricot and seventy-five percent plum, with an appearance that closely resembles a plum. The result is a flavorful stone fruit rich in vitamin C and vitamin A. Pluots are in season from June to August.

Pluots have the tangy sweetness of a plum but are slightly less acidic taste thanks to the apricot influence. Depending on the variety, the flesh—encased in a smooth, plum-like skin—can either be soft and supple or slightly crisp.

There are many varieties of this plum-apricot hybrid. Some of the most popular include:

1. 1. Black Kats: The darkest variety of pluot, Black Kats have black skin, golden flesh, and a notably sweet flavor.
2. 2. Dapple Dandies: Also called “Dinosaur Eggs,” these are large, juicy, slightly tart pluots with green skin speckled with red spots.
3. 3. Emerald Drops: This small, bright green pluot has a semisweet flavor and crunchy texture. Try it in salads.
4. 4. Flavor Grenades: Oblong green Flavor Grenades have honey-sweet flesh that matches their bright green skins.
5. 5. Flavor Hearts: These heart-shaped pluots have purple skin and low-acid yellow flesh.
6. 6. Flavor King: These pluots have deep red skin, light orange flesh, and a slightly spicy flavor.
7. 7. Flavorosas: One of the sweetest, juiciest pluots, the Flavorosa has red flesh and dark purple skin.
8. 8. Flavor Supremes: Also called Flavor Queens, this super-sweet pluot variety with light green skin and yellow flesh is ideal for baked goods.
9. 9. Geo Prides: This more acidic variety of pluot has dusty purple skin and orange flesh.
10. 10. Mango Tangos: This pluot has the yellow skin and golden flesh of a mango, with a slightly tart, tropical flavor.

When picking ripe fruit at the farmers’ market or grocery store, cup the pluot in your palm and give it a slight squeeze. The texture should be slightly firm—but not hard—with just a small amount of give. Pluots with overly soft skin or bruises, or fruit that has a pungent scent, are past their prime. While the color of the skin will vary, choose fruits with a vibrant color free of blemishes.

Store ripe pluots in a shady spot on the counter or in the refrigerator. To accelerate the ripening of unripe pluots, place them on the counter in a brown paper bag. Once ripe, pluots will keep well at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for three to five days, or in the refrigerator for a week.

This tasty hybrid fruit is delicious in both raw and cooked formats. You can enjoy fresh ripe pluots out of hand for an easy snack, or pit and slice them and add them to salads, yogurt, ice cream, grain bowls, waffles, pancakes, and more. Or, chop up a pluot and turn it into a fruity salsa or chutney.

You can incorporate this semisweet fruit into sweet cooked dishes, like pies, galettes, cobblers, and crumbles just as you would other stone fruits, like peaches, plums, and nectarines. Grill pluots and serve them with meat or creamy cheeses like fresh mozzarella or goat cheese for a savory cooked option. Or, pair pluots with prosciutto and other salty cured meats for a sweet-and-savory charcuterie board.

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