Prune plums have a very high sugar content, which allows them to be dried whole without fermenting. It was brought to California in 1856 by a Louis Pellier, after his attempt to cash in on the Gold Rush had failed. Like peaches, plums come in both clingstone and freestone varieties. Apparently the combination of pectins, sugars, and malic acid contained in lekvar retain moisture and enhance flavor, the way that fat does. As dessert, plums appear in nearly every variety of baked goods, and they add a rosy glow to fresh fruit tarts.
Prunes are also a popular dessert ingredient.
They combine well with chocolate, armagnac, and cream. Prunes are often included in savory meat dishes, especially pork chops, game, and stews. The raspberry is a composite fruit rather than a true berry, a cluster of drupelets all connected to a central hull. The ideal, ripe raspberry is hollow. It must mature on the bush, all the while loosening its hold on the hull of the fruit, which remains on the stem after the raspberry is picked.