PLUMS PACKED WITH VITAMINS

In autumn, plums appear on the counters in Azerbaijan. These juicy fruits of bright colour and unusual flavour are eaten fresh, canned, and even stored for future use, dried and turned into famous prunes. They are used to prepare juices, compotes and jelly.

Depending on the sort, plums ripen from mid-August to late October. Many have plum trees growing in their dachas or in the yards of their houses. This fruit belongs to the family of stone fruits, and its nearest relatives are peaches, apricots and cherries. Today there are about 100 sorts of plums, and they all originated from the wild sloe. There are sorts of plum with yellow, purple, blue, red and green fruits. Almost all known sorts - Mirabelle, damson, Victoria and others - grow in Azerbaijan.

If a plum tastes sour, this means that it was removed from the tree too early - before it fully ripened. In this case, it can be left on the table at ambient temperature for several days, and it will ripen.

"Multivitamin"

The plum is a classic dietary product. It is low-calorie. There are about 30 calories for 100 grams of the product despite the sweetness of the fruit. In addition, the fleshy pulp and rind are rich in pectin and cellulose, which is why the plum is very good at regulating digestion and fighting constipation.

Plums contain a lot of minerals, especially minerals that are good for those who suffer from heart diseases and high blood pressure, as they contain a lot of potassium and magnesium that feed the heart. Furthermore, the plum contains a lot of calcium and sodium, enough phosphorus, zinc, iodine and chromium, as well as copper and fluorine. This fruit is rich in vitamins; along with ascorbic acid and vitamin A, it contains a lot of B vitamins as well as vitamin PP, which is good for eyesight and strengthens blood vessels.

Due to these combinations of minerals and vitamins, the plum is good for people with high blood pressure, weak vessel walls, and anaemic and debilitated patients. Most of the vitamins in the plum survive even after the processing of the fruit.

The flesh of plums and prunes, if regularly consumed, helps remove excess cholesterol and clean vessels from atherosclerotic plaques.

Plums are recommended for diseases of the kidneys and urinary system as they are rich in potassium. Potassium in plums has a slight diuretic effect, which helps to remove excess salt and fluid from the body. The plum is very useful in metabolic disorders, the treatment of obesity and rheumatism.

Remedy for anaemia

Potassium, along with adjusting pressure and removing excess water, also has the ability to transmit nerve impulses in the neuromuscular junction. Therefore, it is useful for muscle contraction and training. Plums are just necessary for athletes and people who are actively involved in sports. And plums stimulate appetite through organic acids and mild acidity and are good for children who have lost their appetite.

Plums contain special substances - phytocoumarins. They are able to prevent blood clots in small vessels, expand their gaps and improve the flow of blood. Plums are also good in anaemia as they stimulate the synthesis of new red blood cells. Dried plums help reduce the body temperature during fever.

Medieval doctor

Plum trees are cultivated throughout Azerbaijan. Medieval sources also give information about the medicinal properties of the fruit. Muhammad Mu'min wrote: "The plum is useful for treating high temperatures, acute fever and severe headaches. Four hundred and sixty grams of plum are boiled in 0.7 litres of water, and a good laxative is made. The plum has an antihelminthic effect. A medicine for oral rinsing made from a decoction of melons and leaves and roots of plums is useful for treating a sore throat and swollen tonsils, and strengthens the gums. For better absorption, the plum can be eaten with jam made of rose petals."

Avicenna notes that "if used externally, plum pulp heals ulcers and reduces blisters. A decoction of plum leaves, if you rinse your mouth with it, will not allow catarrhs to reach the uvula and tonsils. Plum gum as an ointment strengthens eyesight. Sweet plums remove the yellow bile. Plum gum, if you dilute it in water and drink, breaks up stones in the urinary bladder..."

STONE-FREE PLUM JAM

Of course, removing stones is quite a time-consuming process, but it can be used for cooking, baking or garnishing pancakes. 

Ingredients:

Plums - 1 kg

Sugar - 6 cups 

Water - 4 cups 

This amount produces one litre of jam

Preparation: 

Choose plums whose stones are easily separated from the pulp. Wash the plums, cut them by the groove and remove the stones. Boil the syrup. To do this, pour water in a bowl and add sugar. Put the saucepan on fire. Stir it and bring the syrup to the boil. Pour the hot sugar syrup on plums and leave them to mature in the syrup for 3-4 hours before boiling. Then heat them almost to the boil, cool and leave them to mature for 8-12 hours. Then cook for 5-8 minutes, and then, after leaving them to mature again (8-12 hours), make jam from plums until it is ready (about 10-15 minutes).

PRUNES

Prunes can be dried in the oven and on a special grid. For drying plums, select ripe fruits without traces of rot and mildew. The stone does not have to be removed. Blanch them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, and then cool them in ice-cold water. Wipe them with paper towels, removing excess moisture. To ensure that the prune acquires the characteristic lustre, you can soak it in syrup. To this end, place honey in boiling water with a ratio of 2 parts of water to 1 part of honey. Preheat the oven to 60 degrees, spread the plums evenly on the baking sheet and do not close the door completely. By doing so, you will ensure good air circulation and water will evaporate better. 

Turn the fruit over every hour. Drying plums takes an average 10 hours.

When the product becomes black, elastic and tastes sweet and sour, it is ready for use. Put the prunes in jars and seal them for a week. You need to shake the containers every day. Pay attention to the glass: if they accumulate a lot of condensate (a few drops are permissible), you must repeat the drying process. Once the balance between too dry and too wet fruits is restored, put the prunes in cloth bags.