Mirabelle de Metz Plums
Estimated Inventory, 6 lbs : 0
Description/Taste
Mirabelle de Metz plums are small, averaging 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter, and have a round, somewhat uniform appearance. The skin is thin, smooth, and taut, showcasing yellow-green, pale yellow, and golden yellow hues with maturity. The skin is also often enveloped in a waxy layer known as a bloom. The fruit develops this natural, protective coating to help keep moisture from evaporating through the skin. It is also a barrier against disease and insects. Underneath the surface, the flesh is fine-grained, aqueous, semi-firm, and crunchy, becoming slightly softer and more succulent when ripe. The translucent, pale-yellow flesh also encases a small central stone that is easily removed and does not cling to the flesh. Mirabelle de Metz plums are fragrant and edible raw once ripe. The fruits have a high sugar content, creating a rich, sweet, sugary, and honeyed taste. Depending on the region where the fruit is grown, there might also be a light tanginess.
Seasons/Availability
Mirabelle de Metz plums are available in the late summer, typically between mid-August and September.
Current Facts
Mirabelle de Metz plums, botanically classified as Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca, are small, sweet fruits belonging to the Rosaceae family. The fragrant plums grow on deciduous trees reaching 3 to 4.8 meters in height and are known for their cultivation within the Lorraine region of France. The variety has also expanded worldwide as a specialty plum. There are two main types of Mirabelle plums: Mirabelle de Nancy and Mirabelle de Metz. Both types are collectively sold under the name Mirabelle de Lorraine and are named after two cities within the Lorraine region. Mirabelle de Metz, as seen in the photograph above, is slightly smaller than Nancy types and has thinner skin. They also have a stronger fragrance. Mirabelle de Metz plums are only available for a short season each year, around 4 to 6 weeks, and the fruits are a freestone variety known for producing high yields. Most Mirabelle de Metz plums are harvested by hand for fresh consumption and are picked by machine for processing into jams, purees, and compotes. Mirabelle de Metz plums are revered for their rich, sweet taste and are utilized in a wide array of fresh, cooked, and preserved preparations.
Nutritional Value
Mirabelle de Metz plums are a source of fiber to aid digestion and minerals like potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and manganese. These minerals help the body balance fluid levels, support bone and teeth health, control daily nerve functions, and produce proteins for oxygen transport through the bloodstream. Mirabelle de Metz plums also contain varying amounts of vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. These vitamins strengthen the immune system, maintain healthy organs, guard cells against free radical damage, and contribute to energy production.
Applications
Mirabelle de Metz plums have a sweet, sugary, and slightly tangy taste suited for fresh and cooked culinary preparations. The variety is the preferred Mirabelle type for eating out of hand and is enjoyed as a snack or halved and tossed into salads. Mirabelle de Metz plums are also diced as a topping for parfaits and smoothie bowls or blended into juices. In addition to fresh preparations, Mirabelle de Metz plums are popularly roasted and served as a sweet addition to savory dishes. Roasted plums are mashed into a chutney for burgers and sandwiches, or larger pieces are eaten over toast with cheese and herbs. Cooked Mirabelle de Metz plums are also used as a topping on variations of tacos, pizza, and curries or incorporated into souffles. In France, the variety is pan-fried with chanterelle mushrooms, butter, and thyme, and topped with puff pastry. The fruits are also added to savory meat dishes with pork, duck, rabbit, and fish. Beyond savory dishes, Mirabelle de Metz plums are famous worldwide for jams, jellies, and compotes. They are also incorporated into baked goods, including muffins, cakes, tarts, crumbles, and clafoutis. Try poaching the plums in spiced white wine and serving with ice cream, or cooking and serving as a sweet accompaniment to pancakes and French toast. Mirabelle de Metz plums are also fermented and distilled into a French fruit liquor known as eau de vie or preserved in honey and Gewurztraminer wine. Mirabelle de Metz plums pair well with nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios, herbs including basil, mint, and fennel, cheeses such as camembert, goat, and mozzarella, cinnamon, and rosemary. Whole, unwashed fruits will keep for a few days at room temperature and for 5 to 7 days when stored in the fridge.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Mirabelle de Metz plums are deeply intertwined with the folklore and celebratory festivals of the Lorraine region of France. A local fable explains why the variety is named Mirabelle, meaning “pretty to see,” “look at what is beautiful,” or “wonderful.” Legend has it that there was a beautiful princess who lived in the Lorraine region. The princess was kind and offered to help take care of an old woman passing through the kingdom. The old lady transformed into a fairy and blessed the region with trees laden with golden fruits in honor of the worthy princess. The fruits were named Mirabelle after the princess. Mirabelle de Metz plums are also celebrated each year in August at the Mirabelle Festival in the city of Metz. The festival was established in 1947 to promote the signature fruits of the region. During the celebration, tents for local vendors line the city’s streets where visitors can purchase Mirabelle plum-flavored baked goods, preserves, ice cream, and other homemade gifts. Vendors also sell prepared hot dishes or fresh plums. Live concerts, contests, carnival games, a parade, and a beauty pageant to crown a Mirabelle Queen are also notable festivities during the event.
Geography/History
Mirabelle de Metz plums are believed to be descendants of plums possibly from the Caucasus, a geographical region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. While the exact history is unknown, several theories trace the fruit’s origins back to the Middle Ages, a period between the 5th and 15th centuries. It is said that King René I, the Duke of Lorraine, introduced the variety to France sometime during the 15th century. René II of Lorraine, the grandson of René I, later planted the variety across the Lorraine region at the end of the 15th century. Despite the fruits from the Caucasus region being more acidic, the Lorraine region’s clay-limestone soil and climate developed the plums into sweet-tasting fruits, transforming them into a favored plum. In the late 16th century, candied Mirabelle plums were given to Catherine de Medici and her son, King Charles IX of France, when they were visiting the Lorraine region, establishing the fruits as a prized crop of the region. They were also recognized by the French Academy in 1762. Mirabelle de Metz plums became a widely produced fruit of the Lorraine region in the late 19th century when a phylloxera epidemic destroyed the region’s vineyards. Plum trees were planted as replacements, and by the 1920s and 30s, the fruits became one of the most famous plums of France. Mirabelle plums acquired a Protected Geographical Indication, or PGI, in 1996, making it the first fruit to earn the label. It was also given the prestigious French Red Label in 1999. Today, over 80% of the Mirabelle plums grown worldwide are cultivated in the Lorraine region of France. The variety is also grown in Canada, Spain, the United States, and other regions worldwide as a specialty fruit.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Mirabelle de Metz Plums. One
is easiest, three is harder.| David Lebovitz |
|
Mirabelle Jam |
Podcasts
Mirabelle de Metz Plums for sale around the world shared on the Specialty Produce App
