Organic plums are an important part of any organic stone fruit category. Despite the fact that organic plum sales fall slightly, compaired to peaches, nectarines and apricots sales. Organic plums can make a difference in your bottom line.
Organic plums are a popular canning item, so be sure to include them in canning and jam-making promotions. They are also popular as a summertime snack. Include them in summer fruit promotions with other organic stone fruit. Organic plums add some zing to salads, so include them in organic salad promo-tions.
Create an organic fruit box or basket during the gift-giving season of the winter holidays and include plums as part of the basket. Fresh fruit in the dead of winter is a tasty gift.
Appeal to parents by promoting organic plums as a tasty addition to the lunch box. Because plums are eaten with the skin on, parents may be interested in the organic farming practices that lead to fewer pesticides being used.
Both black and red plums are available as organic. Include both in your display, making sure to clearly label each variety. Pluots, a cross between a plum and an apricot, are also available as organic, so consider including them in your display, as well.
Consider displaying organic stone fruit in the same aisle as conventional stone fruit, with organic on one side of the aisle and conventional product on the other. This creates large display while avoiding cross-contamination issues.
Like other stone fruit, organic plums bruise easily. Be gentle when placing them on the display, and don’t stack them. Remove any damaged fruit immediately as bruised fruit leads to a poor eating experience, which may keep consumers from purchasing plums again.
Shipping
Plums are most often shipped in 28- or 18-pound cartons. Pluots are often shipped in 18-pound cartons, as well.
Grades
U.S. fancy
U.S. No. 1
U.S. combination
U.S. No. 2
Handling
Temperature: shipping point and in-transit, 32 to 34 F (0 to 1 C); receivers, 51 to 77 F (10.5 to 25 C), pulp temperature
Relative humidity: 90-95%
Mist: no
Typical shelf life: 14 to 28 days
Ethylene producer
Highly sensitive to freezing injury. (Likely to suffer injury by one light freezing.)
Plums with a high soluble-solids content often keep better than those with low solids.
A slight shrivel around the stem end is normal.
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