What’s the story behind the health benefits of prunes? To do this topic justice, we have to go all the way back to the 1800s, when California was better known for gold than for farming.

French roots, but California Grown

Many immigrants and ideas flooded California during the late 1840s and early 1850s, including newcomer Louis Pellier. Originally from a farming family in the Agen region of France, Pellier fell back on his agricultural roots after failing to make his fortune in gold. His native region was famous for its Petit d’Agen plum, a variety especially suited for prunes. In 1850, he sent his brother to retrieve a cutting of this French rootstock and successfully grafted it onto wild plum trees growing near Mission Santa Clara. 

California Prunes: Small Fruit, Big Glow-Up

All prunes are plums, but not all plums can be prunes. Only certain varieties have what it takes, which is why it’s worth looking for prunes from California.

Fresh California prunes are dried in climate-controlled tunnels, a process farmers have perfected by carefully balancing temperature, humidity, and time.

Prunes support gut health, heart health, and bone health, too. Their natural sweetness and moisture make them a smart way to reduce added sugar and even oil in recipes, especially when using prune puree.

Silicon Valley…the prune capital of the world.

By the 1870s, Americans’ appetite for European prunes had skyrocketed, and prune imports more than tripled within a decade. At that time, fresh fruit was far from being available year-round, cold storage relied on ice harvested from northern lakes, and sugar was expensive. So, sweet, shelf-stable prunes were in vogue. But California Prunes were a go-to for other reasons as well. By the 1800s, bowel regularity (or rather, irregularity) was a hot topic in medicine. Constipation was seen as the ailment of “modern sedentary life” and prunes were well known for being helpful in this regard. By 1880, European prune imports had more than tripled. California farmers took notice of this growing golden opportunity, and prunes quickly became Santa Clara Valley’s most popular crop. 

Fun fact – Silicon Valley was once the prune capital of the world!

With tech now dominating the landscape, prune farming has moved to the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, but [#protip for California lore-seeking travelers] there is still a small, prune-shaped park in San Jose dedicated to Pellier and his contribution to Silicon Valley history.]

Health benefits of prunes: More than a digestive sidekick

Prunes may have been grandma’s ride-or-die for digestive regularity, but chances are they were doing much more behind the scenes. Studies show that prunes help diversify the ecosystem of tiny helpers in our gut, which researchers believe might help explain how prunes promote heart health, support weight management, build healthy bones, and protect against bone loss as we age. Prunes are also a low-GI food. The fiber found naturally in prunes slows the release of their natural sugars into the bloodstream, keeping blood sugar and insulin more steady.

Known for bone benefits

Though the health benefits of California Prunes are many, support for their role in bone health is getting a lot of attention. Many nutrients work together to build bone. In fact, our bones undergo constant “remodeling” throughout life, with older bone being replaced with newer bone. Most of us reach our highest bone density by age 18. The stronger our bones are at this point in time, the stronger they will be throughout life. Our bodies rely on food to supply bone-building nutrients, so good nutrition (and exercise!) matters a lot. Prunes are a good source of fiber, an excellent source of vitamin K, and supply potassium, copper, boron, and polyphenols — all nutrients that build and support strong bones.

While the most critical timeframe for building and adding important minerals to bone is during the childhood and teen years, don’t sleep on the health benefits of prunes. We’re learning from newer research that it’s never too late to make changes for bone benefits. In fact, multiple studies have shown that eating just 5-6 prunes per day (~50g) can help preserve bone, particularly for women after menopause, but also for men. There are endless ways to add prunes to your daily routine! California Prunes have an all-natural sweetness with notes of honey and caramel, and their rich, silky texture makes them delicious in both sweet and savory dishes.

California Prunes: Taste them again for the first time

While it’s easy to think of a prune simply as a “dried plum,” its origin story says otherwise. Remember the special plum variety that Pellier sent his brother back to France to retrieve? He didn’t make the trip for nothing. While plums grown to be eaten fresh emphasize juiciness, the d’Agen plum has a different carbohydrate content that allows it to fully ripen on the tree and to be dried without fermenting. This gives plenty of time for the plum’s natural sweetness to develop – no added sugar needed!

The health benefits of prunes are only one reason to eat California Prunes. Prunes play well with everything. They are perfect as a solo snack or paired with tart fruits, crunchy nuts, and endless cheese varieties. Prunes are also used in baking to perfect texture, add sweetness, and reduce the need for added sugars and oils. Prune puree and prune juice can also be used to glaze meats and vegetables or to balance flavor profiles in sauces and dressings, and even cocktails, mocktails, and more!

Delicious recipes featuring California Prunes

Want to hear some tunes as iconic as California Olive Oil? Check out this California Grown Spotify playlist:

This article is by Jenny Heap, MS, RDN

Jenny is a registered dietitian, writer, speaker, and passionate advocate for keeping nutrition simple. She translates the science of nutrition as well as stories from the farm into practical inspiration for everyday kitchens. Her fascination with fresh produce was sparked many years ago when she attended an apple tasting event at Thomas Jefferson’s historic Monticello. Now a self-proclaimed “varietal connoisseur,” she is a champion of all things fresh and flavorful. One of the highlights of Jenny’s career was her work with the Almond Board of California in health and nutrition communications, where she developed a deep appreciation for the California farm families responsible for much of the abundance we see every day in supermarkets across the US.