Chefs & Food Professionals

California Prunes
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Choice Natural Ingredient

For the many professionals who are involved in the sourcing of ingredients for the food industry, from chefs to those involved in new product development / food manufacture, the inclusion of California Prunes and California Prune derived products represents a natural choice.
Only premium California Prunes offers such a wide variety of convenient prune formats to match the discerning requirements of culinary professionals, these include:

Chopped / diced pieces
Pastes and purees
Concentrate
Prune powder

Commercial Advantages of
California Prunes as an Inclusion

Aside from the outstanding consistent quality and superb flavour associated with California Prunes, there are numerous key commercial advantages which support the rationale for incorporating California Prunes / prune derivatives into a myriad of sweet and savoury dishes.

Juicy California Prunes have similar nutritional characteristics to their fresh plum counterparts but with the added bonus of a convenient extended shelf life, year round availability and ease of storage
The naturally occurring sugar in prunes can be deployed to great effect in replacing refined (free) sugar in a wide range of sweet recipes, cakes and puddings and confectionery. Similarly, California Prune puree (prunes blended with water) can be used as a substitute for jam or marmalade on bread or toast and can also deliver a sweetness to yoghurt or porridge without using refined sugar
Specifically, California Prunes / California Prune derivatives can be used in:
- Baked goods: prunes naturally contain a mix of components which allows them to act as a fat substitute, inhibit mould development, add humectancy and extend shelf life
- Meat: prunes contain naturally high levels of fibre, contain sorbitol and a range of substances with antioxidant properties. These components allow prunes to retain moisture, suppress the growth of various pathogens, enhance savoury flavours and control the development of lipid oxidation or warmed-over flavour in processed meat
- Sauces: prunes do not impart a flavour but rather enhance and round off other flavours in a recipe or formulation, making them the ingredient of choice for complete flavour systems, whether in a sweet or savoury sauce, marinade or rub
- Snack products: prunes offer a perfect balance of nutrition and sensory enhancement. They can help reduce fat and added sugar (prunes supply only natural occurring sugar sweetness) in snack products whilst delivering texture and flavour
- Confectionery: fat and added sugars can be usefully controlled or reduced by including prunes in fillings / icings. The low GI of 29 associated with prunes provides confectionery manufacturers with a natural alternative to improve overall nutrition
- Dairy: prunes can be used to great effect to enhance the flavour of a range of dairy products such as yoghurt, cheese and ice cream, whilst also delivering proven digestive health benefits (eating 100g of prunes a day contributes to normal bowel function)