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["Lisa D. Ishimuro" <lishimuro@yahoo.com>]

My first try at drying Stanley plums was a success, I only wish I had more to dry.  I boiled them first for 45 seconds and then cut them in half and took out the pits. I spread them on a cookie sheet and dried them at 170* for about 7 hours in a convection oven. They weren't completely dry at night so I turned off the oven when I was asleep or not at home and just turned it on the next day.  I had mentioned that the reason I was doing this was to make the prune & fig chutney. That I made (equal parts figs to prunes, 1 tbls. honey and red wine vinegar) and it is good, but I wish I had just kept the prunes as they were INCREDIBLE!  Nothing like the store bought prunes, they tasted completely different. They reminded me of sun-dried tomatoes, not the taste, but the strong concentrated flavor that comes from the drying. Now I must find more trees to plant. I want more!  If anyone has any of these European type plums I recommend you try this.

Zone 6

Lisa Ishimuro
Environmental Protection Specialist II
Bucks County Conservation District
1456 Ferry Road
Doylestown, Pa. 18901
215-345-7577 Ext. 102

lishimuro@yahoo.com

www.bucksccd.org