Snacking while eGulleting... (Part 2)

[kayb]

Never been a huge prune fan, but I will eat my weight in dates.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

At the moment enjoying a plate of nuts.com organic Angelino dried plums.

 

[blue_dolphin]

At least at the time I purchased this bag, Trader Joe's was still selling prunes:

 

However, they apparently put dried plums in them:

[cakewalk]

I always found it interesting (mildly, anyway) that prunes have their own name. Dried figs are called dried figs. Dried apples are called dried apples. Etc. I don't think there's any other fruit that gets a name change like that. I love 'em no matter what they're called, but I the Sunsweet prunes have become so slimy that I can't stand them. What do they spray on them? I think the TJ prunes are better. 

[blue_dolphin]

14 minutes ago, cakewalk said:

I don't think there's any other fruit that gets a name change like that.

Raisins

[Anna N]

44 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Raisins

Currants

[IowaDee]

My SIL calls raisins dead grapes and prunes dead plums.  Takes away their appeal just a tad.  Me?  Love 'em all, dead or alive.

[liuzhou]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

Currants

 

Sultanas

[cakewalk]

Raisins, currants, and sultanas count as one. Yes, yes, I know all about it. I still think they count as one.  Next we'll hear craisins!

Edited February 3, 2017 by cakewalk
More stuff. (log)

[Katie Meadow]

I always thought that prunes were specifically dried "Italian plums" aka "prune plums," those small egg-shaped plums. So if you dry any other kind of plum it really would be more appropriate to call it a "dried plum" and not a prune.

 

And I agree, those super moist Sunsweet prunes barely resemble dried fruit, they are so hydrated. I find bulk prunes are often way better, and appear more naturally dried so they are chewy the way other dried stone fruits are without that slimy quality.

 

If I remember my tangled threads, there is a long one on eG about currants, dried currants, champaign grapes, etc.  In my book raisins and dried currants are no way the same. Lots of dried grapes are reliably known as raisins, but not all are Sultanas, as far as I am aware. 

[cakewalk]

25 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

If I remember my tangled threads, there is a long one on eG about currants, dried currants, champaign grapes, etc.  In my book raisins and dried currants are no way the same. Lots of dried grapes are reliably known as raisins, but not all are Sultanas, as far as I am aware. 

That is true. (I remember that thread.) But sultanas are called sultanas whether they are dried or fresh. Same with currants. Grapes/raisins fit the plum/prune example. Craisins are just a marketing name, they are otherwise known as ... dried cranberries. 

 

Edit: not really sure about sultanas and currants when they're not dried, now that I think about it. It actually is something new: one item (grapes, of different sorts) that get different names only when dried? Don't know.

Edited February 3, 2017 by cakewalk
Added stuff (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I thought currants were dried grapes, not currants.  In my misspent youth I believed currants were really currants.

 

[cakewalk]

Currants are a particular type of dried grape. They're different than the "other" currants, which usually are not dried. That's the gist of the thread that was mentioned above. 

[liuzhou]

1 hour ago, Katie Meadow said:

I always thought that prunes were specifically dried "Italian plums" aka "prune plums," those small egg-shaped plums. So if you dry any other kind of plum it really would be more appropriate to call it a "dried plum" and not a prune.

 

Not really. Prune and plum are the same thing. "Plum" came from old English, while "prune" came from Latin. The scientific name for plums is "prunus". Only in American English, is "prune" used to refer to a specific type of plum. Elsewhere they are interchangeable although prune is more commonly used to refer to the dried fruit (of any type of plum). In the past, people spoke of "dried prunes".

 

Quote

c 1400 Drie prunis

- Quoted in OED

 

[rotuts]

i get TJ's dried prunes.  I put them on a sheet pan and let the really dry out , so that they are almost hard as a rock.

 

much better that way.

[BeeZee]

I get the TJ's non-sorbate prunes, they are much firmer and no slime.

[liuzhou]

Bought these this morning. Roast cashews with chili pepper. Wow! They are volcanic. Brought tears to my eyes.

 

 

 

I'll go back tomorrow for more!

 

 

Host's note: this enticing topic continues here.

Edited June 27, 2017 by Smithy
Added host's note (log)