Can you defrost plums?
In this brief article, we will answer the question “can you defrost plums in the microwave?”. We will also discuss the questions, what are plums, how to freeze and defrost plums, the possibility of refreezing thawed plums and the culinary uses of plums.
Can you defrost plums?
Yes, you can defrost plums for any plum recipe that requires them. Plums are seasonal fruits and once they are around, the best way to store and enjoy them all year round is to freeze them properly. When plums are frozen, they can be defrosted at any time and enjoyed.
What are plums?
Plums are highly sweet and juicy fruits obtained from trees belonging to the genus Prunus. The fruits have a smooth and shiny outer appearance which serves as a protection for the flesh interior.
Two types of plums are available and they are the European and Japanese types. The two varieties are different based on their size, shape, colour, texture and taste. The European type plums have yellow coloured flesh while the Japanese types have white flesh with a red skin appearance.
How to freeze plums?
Plums can be frozen to preserve them when you can’t use all that you picked from the farm or bought. The plum fruits can be preserved in the freezer and they can maintain their quality for 6 to 12 months when properly frozen.
The fruits can be frozen raw and whole or be cut into different sizes like halves, wedges and slices.
Let’s take a look at the possible ways to properly freeze plums
- To begin, wash the plums thoroughly with clean water to remove debris and some pesticides.
- Keep it whole or cut the plums into halves and remove the side inside. You may further cut them into small and desired sizes and shapes.
- Now place the plums into a freezer safe bag, press on the bag to remove available excess air and seal.
- You may label the bag of plums with a marker to tell when this pack was prepared and placed in the freezer for storage.
How to defrost plums?
Defrosting a plum can be a simple task, but if done incorrectly, you risk damaging your fruit.
The fruits can either be thawed under refrigeration or room temperature conditions.
Let’s have a detailed look at how to defrost your plums.
Thawing in the refrigerator
Defrosting your plums in the refrigerator is a slow process, however, produces maximum results.
- To begin, remove the plums from the freezer and place them on the lowest bottom rack of the refrigerator.
- While the plums sit in the fridge, they defrost slowly overnight for at least 6 hours.
- When fully thawed, the plums can be consumed raw as food or used in cooking.
Thawing at room temperature
Thawing of plums can also be completed at room temperature on the countertop for a great dessert.
- You can defrost your plums on the countertop by bringing them out of the freezer and placing them on a plate.
- Allow the plums to sit on the countertop and fully defrost. The countertop is faster than the refrigeration method. However, when they defrost more quickly they can cause uneven thawing and even produce a soggy textured plum.
Can you refreeze plums?
You will be able to refreeze your plums after they have been defrosted. However, refreezing plums may result in changes in their textural and flavour characteristics.
- If your plums are halfway defrosted and will not be requiring them for your meal again, you can refreeze them quickly. When the plums are refrozen they can still be thawed later with very little flavour and textural changes which can still be enjoyed later.
- However, if the plums are completely thawed already, refreezing them will cause the texture to become soft and lose most of its flavour.
What are the culinary uses of plums?
The sweet tasting plum fruits are versatile in their application. The sweet and tasty fruits are used in preparing plum upside down cakes, plum cakes, plum crumble, plum chutney, marsala baked plums, plum tart, smoothies, syrups and more.
Conclusion
In this brief article, we have answered the question “can you defrost plums?”. We have also discussed what plums are, how to freeze and defrost plums, the possibility of refreezing thawed plums and the culinary uses of plums.
