Food Guy Jon Jackson has always resented the annual litter of bland little yellow plums on his lawn, a gift from a tree at the top of his driveway. But one Food Guy's trash, it seems, is every Parisian's treasure: these are Mirabelle plums, the coveted stuff of subtle, tangy autumn plum jam.
As one of the first stone fruits to be domesticated, plums turn up around the globe, including in Eastern Europe, where plum puddings, plum tarts, plum cakes, and Slivovitz are legion. Some varieties work best for jams, others for baking treats like tortes and galettes.
(Broadcast: "The Food Guys," 10/11/20. Listen weekly on the radio at 9:53 a.m. Sundays, or via podcast.)