Prunes

[Amethyst]

Women in that age group have a horror of anything that seems "old," [I remember getting a 25th birthday card accusing me of getting old], and prunes are associated with old people - partly because of their fame as laxatives, and partly because of phrases like "wrinkled up like a prune."

A.

Dang, both of you beat me to it. I just sigh when I see "dried plums" on the shelf at the grocery store.

From FAQ | California Dried Plums:

Try saying that first one five times fast! And why is the target audience women between the ages of 25 and 54? And they admit (as I always suspected) that the reason they use the term "dried plums" is (a) it sounds better after years of prune jokes, and (b) they've dumbed it down, just like many other things.

 

[Major Tom]

I've always loved prunes, and school dinners in "junior school" in England often had prunes and hot custard for dessert.

Your mention of hot custard in school brought back my own UK school dinner memory, Alan. Whenever we had a dessert that came with hot custard, the dinner ladies would pour the custard onto our pudding from large aluminum pitchers. When starting a new pitcher of custard, the dinner lady would scrape the custard skin off the top and put it into a bowl on the side. Some of us loved the skin. Every now and again, some young urchin would say, "Please miss, can I have the skin?" and would be rewarded with a bowlful of cold custard skin.

Aaah, the memories.......

 

[anethum]

I eat 4 prunes every morning with my cereal. If I eat more than 4, there is trouble. If I eat less than 4, it is trouble. 4 prunes is the right number for me!

There used to be a TV ad for a laxative that had a line more or less like: "With prunes, you never know. Are 2 enough? Are 6 too many?"

 

[Alan]

Your mention of hot custard in school brought back my own UK school dinner memory, Alan. Whenever we had a dessert that came with hot custard, the dinner ladies would pour the custard onto our pudding from large aluminum pitchers. When starting a new pitcher of custard, the dinner lady would scrape the custard skin off the top and put it into a bowl on the side. Some of us loved the skin. Every now and again, some young urchin would say, "Please miss, can I have the skin?" and would be rewarded with a bowlful of cold custard skin.

Aaah, the memories.......

I was that urchin

It was the same with the skin off the rice pudding - loved it.

 

[Amethyst]

So...you probably like the ends of the bread loaf, too, hmmm? Nothing like it!

I was that urchin

It was the same with the skin off the rice pudding - loved it.

 

[Alan]

So...you probably like the ends of the bread loaf, too, hmmm? Nothing like it!

Absolutely, I always raid the loaves to get the two ends.

 

[Dreamer]

I needed to drink some prune juice a day or two before my oldest child was born and it did the trick. I don't think that I have had any since and he will be 36 shortly!

 

[ERD50]

I needed to drink some prune juice a day or two before my oldest child was born and it did the trick. I don't think that I have had any since and he will be 36 shortly!

Prune juice or children? Though I'd think you'd remember having another child!

Hmmm, prune juice as a contraceptive? Maybe a new marketing tool?


-ERD50

 

[Meadbh]

Prune juice or children? Though I'd think you'd remember having another child!

Hmmm, prune juice as a contraceptive? Maybe a new marketing tool?


-ERD50

That was exactly what I thought too!

 

[Major Tom]

Hmmm, prune juice as a contraceptive?
-ERD50

I'm not sure I wanted that thought in my head, but you could be onto something

 

[calmloki]

Plum story: at one point growing up the family had acreage with an old prune orchard. Deer loved it, so did the cattle. Wandering in the fields I'd find perfect little piles of plum pits and finally found the cause. Cows would lay down and chew their cud, which contained lots of plums, and at certain points would spit the pits to one side and to one exact location, making perfect little piles. True story.

I'm more an oatmeal for breakfast every morning kinda guy. That and two cups of coffee...