• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Seasonal guide
  • All produce
  • About
  • Subscribe

Ask the Food Geek logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Seasonal guide
  • All produce
  • About
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Seasonal guide
  • All produce
  • About
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Seasonal Guides » Plumcots & pluots: what are they?

Published: Aug 10, 2021 · Modified: Oct 25, 2023 by Veronica T

Plumcots & pluots: what are they?

When a plum and apricot are crossed, you get plumcots, pluots, and apriums.
Think of the flavor like a juice blend where the sum is better than the parts.

Jump to:
  • How are they different?
  • Varieties
  • Season
  • Where to find them
  • How to use
  • More resources

How are they different?

Horticulturalists create these hybrids by using natural breeding to bring out specific characteristics (they aren't GMO). The difference is based on how much of the fruit is genetically from a plum or an apricot.

  • Pluots: more plum than apricot
  • Plumcots: half plum, half apricot (50-50 split)
  • Apriums: more apricot than plum (and have a more apricot color with slightly fuzzy skin). Tend to be sweeter than the other two.

Varieties

Most of the time you'll see these all generically labeled as pluots, plumcots, or apriums. The specific varieties might change throughout the season, so they might taste (and look) different next time you come back to the store.

According to Trader Joe's, "throughout their short season, multiple varieties of Plumcots™ will make an appearance on our shelves—each for a limited window of time."

However, you might be lucky enough to have a store near you that lists specific varietals (like Berkeley Bowl in California or Pete's in Chicago). Varieties you might encounter:

Pluot and plumcot varieties: flavor supreme, ruby delight, tropical plumana, plumogranate, eagle egg, crimson sweet, midnight
Top row: flavor supreme, ruby delight, tropical plumana
Middle: plumogranate, eagle egg
Bottom row: crimson sweet, midnight
  • Flavor supreme - green-yellow skin with dark red flesh, very sweet
  • Ruby delight - red skin and red flesh, sweet cherry-like flavor
  • Tropical plumana - yellow skin with red areas, yellow flesh, tropical punch-like sweet flavor
  • Plumogranate (it is not crossed with a pomegranate) - red skin and red flesh
  • Eagle egg - red skin and red flesh, sweet-tart flavor
  • Crimson sweet - red skin and pink-red flesh, sweet berry-like flavor
  • Midnight - red skin with red and white flesh. Tart and sweet
  • Dapple dandy (dinosaur egg) - yellow skin with red flecks, red-pink flesh, slightly tropical flavor
  • Flavor grenade - red blush on green-yellow skin, yellow flesh, tropical-apple flavor

A list with pictures of other varieties can be found at HEB online as well.

Season

They are in season about the same time as Apricots, from May until July, sometimes into August.

Some varieties show up from May-June while others are late-season (July-August). This means the specific type of pluot (etc) sold will change throughout the season.

Where to find them

Pluots, plumcots, and apriums are all becoming more popular. Because of their rising popularity, they can be found at most farmers markets across the country, as well as large grocery chains, including Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Sprouts, HEB, Costco, Jewel, Safeway, Publix, Kroger, Walmart, and Sam's Club.

How to use

They can be used in any plum recipe, since the texture is very similar. Substituting for apricots isn't as straight-forward as the texture can be different, but it's quite possible.

Seasonal plum recipe collection

More resources

  • Plums: everything you need to know
  • Apricots: everything you need to know
  • Nectarines vs peaches: whats the difference?
  • All produce guides (or by month)
  • Facebook

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

About the Food Geek

Welcome, I'm Veronica, your resident food geek - experienced recipe developer and gardener. My goal is to help you enjoy eating at home by knowing what fruits & vegetables are currently in season and the best ways to use them. To do that, I've put together seasonal produce guides and recipes with practical advice.

More about me

December produce guide: fruits & vegetables in season

Grapefruit recipes & flavor pairings

Grapefruit paired with basil, rosemary, honey, peppers, and coriander

Grapefruit has a strong sweet, tart, and bitter flavor profile. Depending on which aspect of the flavor you want to highlight, you can choose various ingredients to achieve your goals. For example, if a grapefruit ends up too bitter, you can tame it with a sweeter recipe or add it to something salty. Or if...

Read More

Do Sumo citrus mandarins deserve the hype?

A sumo citrus mandarin and segmented slices (also known as a Dekopon).

Sumo Citrus mandarins have been in the spotlight, receiving praise for amazing flavor. They are available from January through April - so should you buy them this season? What makes Sumo citrus so special? Sumo Citrus are a name-brand mandarin that is almost the size of an orange, seedless, very easy to peel, and taste...

Read More

Parsnip recipes: 48 seasonal ideas for fall & winter

Parsnip recipe ingredients: parsnips, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, and bruessels sprouts

Parsnips are in season from September through March, so you'll see a lot of roasting, soups, and stews to go with the cooler temperatures. These parsnip recipes are organized into 9 categories and I hope you enjoy them throughout the entire season. What do parsnips pair with? Parsnips are sweet and nutty, especially when roasted....

Read More

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up for produce guides!

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.