Prune Flavor Pairings

Prunes have long been used on cheese plates and in chocolate desserts, but there’s a number of other ways to leverage their mellow, sweet flavor in both sweet and savory applications. Prunes are rich in texture and sweetness, and they also have bright acidity, lending a tangy caramel flavor to food.  Prunes are also rich in phenolic compounds, which also help them act as a flavor stabilizer, preventing the formation of off -flavors in meat, sauces, and even baked goods.

Prunes and Savory Foods

On the savory side, prunes are especially good in sauces with soy and ginger flavors, such as Japanese Tonkatsu Sauce, and in sauces with tomato, like classic barbecue sauce. Prunes are also a reliable match with pork, as seen this recipe for pork chops with prune pan sauce. For veggie burgers with more depth of flavor, prune puree can improves flavor and moisture while enhancing caramelization. In addition, prunes help make meats more tender and juicy when used in marinades.

Prunes and Sweet Foods

Prunes and chocolate have been a classic pairing for decades. The reason the pairing works is that prunes are rich enough in caramel sweetness that they act as a background flavor, letting the chocolate be the star ingredient. Prunes are also easy to match with warm baking spices, from cinnamon and nutmeg to ginger, cloves, and allspice. Prunes and spices come together in this chocolate mousse. Used as a puree in gingerbread or pumpkin spice bread, prunes also can take the place of molasses.

Because prunes are rich in moisture-retaining fiber, prune puree can take the place of butter and other kinds of fat in baking without a loss of richness. In this honey almond cake, prune puree allows for reductions in both butter and sugar.

Sunsweet Ingredients Prune Products, starting top left, clockwise: prune bits, dried plum powder, diced prunes, dried plum puree, pitted prunes, fresh plum concentrate, and prune juice concentrate

Flavor Pairings with Sunsweet Ingredients

Sunsweet’s range of prune-based ingredients also provide new ways to pair prunes with a range of flavors. Some of our ingredients are tangy and others sweet and mellow. Using our concentrates, purees, dices, or powder allows R&D professionals to get creative with everything from breakfast cookies to fried chicken. Here are a few ideas to get started:

Fresh Plum Concentrate
Pair it with: honey-garlic shrimp, Korean fried chicken, Thai red curry, tandoori marinade, lemon-garlic marinade, sriracha, muhammara, chimichurri, romesco sauce, coriander and mint, red wine vinegar, tomatoes and tomato sauce, salsa, enchilada sauce, shallots, currants, cranberries, maple syrup, fruit smoothies
Use it to replace: pomegranate molasses, honey

Prune Juice Concentrate
Pair it with: barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, gochujang, tamarind, ginger, mole, pot roast, ragu, rosemary-garlic marinade, black pepper, whole grains, granola, oranges, dried cherries and dried cranberries, dark chocolate, baking spices, gingerbread, brown butter, cream cheese, coffee, yogurt, toasted nuts
Use it to replace: Molasses, balsamic vinegar, saba

Dried Plum Puree
Pair it with: barbecue sauce, smoked salt, black pepper, chili, chutney, hoisin sauce, caramelized onion, mole, whole grains, oranges, dried fruit, sun-dried tomatoes, soy sauce, toasted nuts, dark chocolate, cream cheese, yogurt
Use it to replace: Tamarind paste, date paste

Dried Plum Powder
Pair it with: whole grains, ancho chili powder, black pepper, cumin, fennel, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, orange zest, nutmeg, ginger, star anise
Use it to replace: some salt and spices in any spice blend

Diced Dried Plums or Whole Plums
Pair it with: lamb tagine, braised chicken with olives, terrines and pâtes, scones, oranges, apples, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried cherries, dark chocolate, fruit tarts, pastry cream, Armagnac, black tea, baking spices, toasted nuts, oatmeal
Use it to replace: dates, figs, raisins

Prune Bits
Pair it with: ancho chiles, Chinese barbecue sauce, soy sauce, cinnamon, toasted nuts, rugelach, whole grains, chocolate, dried fruit, oats, tea, orange juice, vanilla, coffee
Use it to replace: Apple puree, Dried Plum Puree

For more ideas:

• see Recipes
• read How to Cook with Prunes