May 2013

Over the weekend as I walked towards the Walnut Creek Target entrance (see photo above), I passed by a mother and her children who looked like they were gypsies. At that moment, I saw the mother leap up really high and grab a huge branch from the tree. I did a double take wondering what on earth was going on when I noticed one of her kids climbing the tree. Upon closer look I saw that they were picking what to me looked like unripe plums. I was staring at this scene for a while wondering why they would care about unripe plums when I decided to go up to them and ask. The mother told me it was good and gave me one to try. Indeed they were good. I looked closer and asked her whether they were cherries. No, not cherries but she didn’t know what they were called in English. So I asked her what she calls them and she said in Romanian they are called corcodushe.

It turns out that they are mirabelle plums according to this page. The only inconsistency is that mirabelles are generally yellowish in appearance. Maybe this is a different variety. Or maybe these really are unripe plums? From the wikipedia page:

They are known for being sweet and full of flavour. The fruit is primarily used in jams and pies, and its juice is commonly fermented forwine or distilled into plum brandy. Ninety percent of mirabelle plums grown commercially are made into either jam (70%) or eau-de-vie (20%). The plums are also excellent when eaten fresh.

In Romania, mirabelles are usually eaten before they are ripe. This is when they are sour and hard, but they are still enjoyed all over the country. It is arguable whether or not the fruit is better when ripe.

Maybe Target should can them and sell local Mirabelle plum jam? The next time you’re at the Walnut Creek Target take a close look at these purple trees and see if these are unripe plums or mirabelles. If you see one hanging low enough try it out, they’re quite good.

Can you spot the (mirabelle) plum?

Behold the (mirabelle) plum:

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