Prunes

All year round

After the plum harvest come the prunes especially, as far as we are concerned, those made in the juicy style of South West France. There the plums are gently dried until they are done enough to keep but still juicy and tender enough to eat without soaking. This technique is associated with the region around Agen, hence the name Pruneaux d'Agen. You can usually find them in delicatessens; supermarkets are more likely to have the Californian equivalent which is called a ready-to-eat prune. The really wrinkly (and to us older) kind of prune is cheaper and keeps for ages in a storage jar but cannot compare for richness of flavour.

Related recipes to look at:

Prune, Apple and Armagnac Cake with Almond Streusel Topping
Irish Whiskey Christmas Cakes
Fallen Chocolate Souffle with Armagnac Prunes
Prune and Apple Galettes
Chocolate, Prune and Armagnac Cake
Chocolate and Prune Brownies
Dried Fruit Salad with Yoghurt and Nuts
Glace Fruit Topping
Sparkling Cider Jellies with Dried Fruits topped with Cider Syllabub