Fruit of the Month

Aviv Roskes and Claire Schmitt

Republicans and Democrats. The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Plumcots and pluots. Few topics have been as controversial as these—destroying governments, tearing families apart, and causing irreversible international conflicts. However, as our differences continue to further the barriers between us, it is crucial to pursue efforts of reconciliation.

Like most conflicts, the plumcot-pluot divide stems from a lack of education. So, we are taking it upon ourselves to put an end to the Great Stone Fruit War. For those of you who don’t already know, the plumcot is the first-generation descendant of a 50-50 plum and apricot cross. If you cannot decide between the classic sweetness of the apricot and the juicy tartness of a plum, this is the fruit for you. However, for those who crave a fruit with more raunch, the pluot may be your gal. The pluot (pronounced “PLOO-aht”) was bred over several generations to perfect the three-to-one plum-apricot flavor ratio, while still maintaining the mouthfeel of an apricot.

While the plum-apricot spectrum encompasses far more from just these two variations—for example, the apriplum and aprium—we have decided to simply focus on the plumcot and pluot. It is safe to say that we were both taken aback by our first bite of the plumcot. Everything we love in a fruit—sweetness, juiciness, firmness, and (most importantly) pizzaz—was present. We felt that the ratio perfectly encompassed the personalities of both fruits.

We, however, were not as blown away by the pluot. Given its significant plum to apricot ratio, we were worried that the flavor of the plum would be overwhelming. This is not to say that we did not enjoy the fruit; we both hold plum variations close to our hearts. Rather, we simply felt as though it did not deliver what was promised.

So, what should your takeaways be this month? First, that fruit is a spectrum. Plums and apricots are not the anomalies of the pitted-fruit world. And second, there is the perfect fruit out there for you. While we are proud to be on team plumcot, we understand why someone would prefer the less diverse, but still delicious pluot.