How to Make a Plum Ripen Faster

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Plus, how to store and cook with unripe or ripe plums
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Plums are one of summer's true delights. However, biting into a hard, unripe one can leave you with a puckered mouth. Luckily, it’s easy to ripen plums: simply stick them in a paper bag and store them at room temperature. When they’re soft and smell sweet, they’re ready to eat! Keep reading to learn how to quickly ripen plums, how long they take to ripen, and how to store them.

Quick Tips for Ripening a Plum

  1. Place the plum in a paper bag and fold over the top.
  2. Add a banana or apple to help speed up the ripening process.
  3. Leave the bag on your counter at room temperature.
  4. Check if the plum is ripe: ripe plums have a slight give and smell sweet.
Section 1 of 5:

The Best Way to Ripen a Plum

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  1. Any paper bag will do, just ensure it is empty of all contents except plums. When plums (and other fruit) ripen, they emit ethylene gas. Placing the plums in a paper bag with the top folded over keeps the gas close to the plums, speeding up the ripening process. [1]
    • An even quicker method is to put a ripe banana in the bag with the plums. The extra ethylene produced by the banana will cause the plums to ripen faster.
    • Don't place the plums in a plastic bag. Using a nonporous bag prevents fresh air from getting to the plums, which can cause them to taste funny or rot.
    • If you prefer, you can ripen the plums by placing them in a fruit bowl, rather than in a bag. The plums will still ripen, they just won't be ready quite as quickly.
  2. Plums ripen the best when you keep them at a temperature between 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit (20-25° C). Just keep them at this temperature until they are fully ripe. [2]
    • Don't store the bag in a sunny window, as this can cause the plums to overheat. If the plums get too hot, they will begin to rot.
    • Similarly, storing plums in the refrigerator or at a cold temperature before they are ripe can cause chill damage. A chill-damaged plum is unlikely to become juicy and sweet; instead, you may end up with a mealy, tasteless plum.
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  3. The easiest way to tell when your plums are ripe is to lightly press the skin with your finger. If the plum feels soft and your finger makes a slight indentation, the plum is probably ripe. Ripe plums also give off a noticeably sweet and fruity scent. [3]
    • Here are a few other ways to test for ripeness :
      • Observe the texture of the skin. Plums take on a dusty appearance as they ripen. [4]
      • Touch a plum near the tip end. When it's ready, that area will be a bit softer than the rest of the plum. [5]
    • If the plum is still hard to the touch, leave it in the bag for a bit longer.
    • If your finger punctures the plum's skin at the merest touch, the plum may be overripe.
  4. Eat the plums raw as soon as they're ripe to prevent them from growing overripe or spoiling. Or, cook the plums by roasting or poaching them, or baking them into desserts. [6]
    • To halt the ripening process and preserve the plums for a bit longer, store them in your refrigerator's crisper. [7]
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Section 2 of 5:

How long does it take for plums to ripen?

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  1. Depending on how hard the plums were when you bought or harvested them, it can take several days to weeks for them to soften and ripen. Just place the plums in a paper bag, keep them at room temperature, and check on them each day to get them nice and ripe. [8]
Section 3 of 5:

Do plums ripen after they’re picked?

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  1. Whether you’re harvesting plums from a tree or choosing some to buy at the store, simply leave them on your counter to ripen. Like pears and peaches, plums soften and finish the ripening process after they’re harvested. [9]
    • Plums are ready to harvest from the tree when they’re mature. This means they’ve turned purple, red, or yellow (depending on the variety) and have a slight give when you press into them. [10]
    • If you’re buying plums at the store, choose ones that feel heavy, have a slight give when pressed, and are blemish and wrinkle-free.
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Section 4 of 5:

How to Store Unripe and Ripe Plums

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  1. Keep hard, unripe plums on your kitchen counter or table and ensure they stay out of direct sunlight. Make sure they’re away from any heating elements or drafts that can overheat or chill them, too. [11]
  2. Once your plums are ripe, place them in your refrigerator to keep them from continuing to ripen. Simply store whole plums in your fridge’s crisper drawer and any cut plums in a storage container or plastic bag. [12]
    • Ripe plums keep well in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 weeks. [13]
  3. If you have an abundance of ripe plums and can’t use them fast enough, freeze them ! Wash the plums, slice them into wedges, and remove the pits. Then, lay the plums on a baking sheet and freeze them for 1 to 2 hours. Simply transfer the frozen plums to a plastic freezer bag or container and store them in your freezer. [14]
    • Frozen plums keep well for around 6 to 8 months.
    • Add frozen plums to smoothies, bake them into desserts, or put them in drinks and cocktails.
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Section 5 of 5:

What to Do with Unripe Plums

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  1. Use unripe plums to make jam , sauces, and prunes . If your plums refuse to ripen or your plum tree drops a bunch of unripe fruit, you can still enjoy them. For instance:
    • Pickle the plums. [15]
    • Roast and caramelize the plums. Personal chef Markeicha Dulaney says this helps bring out their sweetness and flavor.
    • Cook a savory plum sauce. [16]
    • Make a plum chutney. [17]
    • Bake an upside-down plum cake. [18]
    • Make a plum cobbler. [19]

Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Is the "tip" that mentioned above the part near where the stem comes out, or the opposite side of the plum?
    Community Answer
    That tip refers to the side of the plum that is across from the stem.
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  • Question
    Does it have to be a brown paper bag, or will a white one work?
    Community Answer
    Color is immaterial, the bag's purpose is to trap the ripening agents and to absorb excess moisture.
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    Not Helpful 6 Helpful 32
  • Question
    Why do my plums get soft when I carry them in my lunch box
    Community Answer
    They might be getting bruised, or they might be ripening too quickly, it depends on what you normally carry your lunch in. I'd recommend you get a small plastic container just for your plum.
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      Tips

      • If you're at a loss for what to do with your ripe plums, here are just a few ideas: Make an eggless plum cake, bake a deep dish plum and black cherry pie, turn them into prunes, or infuse them with vodka.
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      Warnings

      • Don't place unripened plums in the refrigerator! This is how they turn floury and mushy, all without ripening properly. The plums should only be placed in the refrigerator after they have ripened.
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        Helpful 1 Not Helpful 3
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      References

      1. ↑ https://food.unl.edu/article/fruits-continue-ripen-after-picking
      2. ↑ https://food.unl.edu/article/fruits-continue-ripen-after-picking
      3. ↑ https://www.villageharvest.org/resources/harvesting-plums
      4. ↑ https://site.extension.uga.edu/forsyth/2022/03/harvesting-nature-wild-plums/
      5. ↑ https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/faq/when-should-you-harvest-plums
      6. ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/poached-plums
      7. ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/michigan_fresh_plums
      8. ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/your-guide-to-plums-varieties-season-and-how-to-pick-the-best-one-5196076
      9. ↑ https://food.unl.edu/article/fruits-continue-ripen-after-picking
      1. ↑ https://lancaster.unl.edu/timing-your-fruit-harvesting-%E2%80%93-apples-pears-plums
      2. ↑ https://food.unl.edu/article/fruits-continue-ripen-after-picking
      3. ↑ https://food.unl.edu/article/fruits-continue-ripen-after-picking
      4. ↑ https://lancaster.unl.edu/timing-your-fruit-harvesting-%E2%80%93-apples-pears-plums
      5. ↑ https://apps.chhs.colostate.edu/preservesmart/produce/freezing/plumsprunes/
      6. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/recipe/pickled-plums/
      7. ↑ https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/25274/plum-sauce/
      8. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/nigel-slaters-a-hot-sweet-plum-chutney
      9. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-an-upsidedown-cake-with-almost-any-fruit-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-192070
      10. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-a-foolproof-cobbler-with-any-fruit-recipe-54973

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To ripen a plum quickly, put it in a paper bag and store it at room temperature. The paper bag will trap the ethylene gas that the plum is emitting, which will make it ripen faster! To make the plum ripen even quicker, put another piece of fruit in the bag with it, like a banana or an apple, so there's more ethylene gas to speed up the ripening process. To learn how to tell when a plum is ready to eat, keep reading!

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