Plums

Growers in South Africa's Western and Eastern Cape cultivate a wide range of delicious red, black and yellow plums, offering you a wide range of flavours, textures and colours.

South African plums are available from January to March. Some of the fantastic varieties to look out for during the season are:

Red or purple skin with yellow flesh - varieties include Fortune, Laetitia, Pioneer, Sapphire, and Southern Belle as well as Flavor King, which has a distinctive sweet bubblegum flavour.

Yellow skin and yellow flesh – popular varieties include Songold and African Pride™, which have a sweet taste and a delicious juicy texture.

South African plums are:

• A great source of potassium (240mg per 100g) which will help blood pressure and keep your heart healthy
• Low in fat, sodium and cholesterol free
• Good source of vitamin A and E - great for healthy looking skin

[Source: The Composition of Foods, sixth summary edition, by McCance and Widdowson]