Plums: Traditional recipes and seasonal uses for pits

Traditional uses for plums include both culinary applications and seasonal household remedies. A popular late-summer dessert is a plum tart featuring a shortcrust pastry, juicy plums such as damson or Reine Claude, and a creamy almond filling made from sugar, almond powder, eggs, and heavy cream.

Beyond cooking, historical practices involved repurposing plum pits for warmth. Instead of composting them, older generations would clean, rinse in vinegar, and dry the pits to create natural dry hot water bottles. These pits were valued for their ability to store and slowly release heat without moisture, providing a zero-waste heating method for beds and hands during the winter.