Greengages, also known as Reine Claude, are oval-shaped plums with green or gold skin. They were domesticated in France and brought to England by Sir William John Gage in the 18th century. They are bursting with flavor and are popular in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, but are not widely available in the US. They must be harvested when fully ripe and are in season in August.
Greengages are beautiful oval shaped plums with light green or gold skin. They may also more commonly be called Reine Claude, as they were domesticated in France. Outside France, especially in English-speaking countries, all stone fruit of the genus Prunus may sometimes be referred to as calibers. Since the skin of this particular plum is green, the name greengages stuck, although you’ll find different cultivars of the greengage, especially in the UK where these plums are grown extensively.
Although first grown in France from wild species, Sir William John Gage is credited with bringing these delicious plums to England in the 18th century. Later they were imported for growing in America. Many early US presidents grew them, but greengages also didn’t thrive in US climates and never had the popularity in the US they hold elsewhere. In fact, few vegetable cultivars are now grown in the United States, although you can look for Washington and Denniston varieties, and the Ontario vegetable variety is grown in Canada.
For fruit and vegetable aficionados, it’s a shame they aren’t more widely available as these palm-sized fruits are bursting with flavor. Some compare them to the taste of honey, as the yellow flesh of the fruit is exceptionally sweet with a slight flavor that many plum varieties seem to possess. In the UK, other parts of Europe, Australia and New Zealand, it’s not unusual to see seafood in jams, tarts or other desserts. They are also simply eaten as is because many argue that the plum needs no embellishment. They must be harvested when fully ripe, as they will not ripen well if harvested early and will taste bitter.
In Europe you will find the products of the season in August. In the US you may find some imports or be lucky enough to find one of the strains from a US grower at the same time. Fresh produce is also being imported from New Zealand into the US and Europe in late March, and this is a good time to look for them in grocery stores. Like most plums, the season for these honeyed fruits is short and easy to miss. They are not well; so you may want to plan the season for these fruits, especially if you live in an area where they are not grown extensively.
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