# Why are my plum pits exploding? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-plum-pits-exploding/515385 "2009-10-28T01:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-plum-pits-exploding/515385/1 "2009-10-28T01:55:33Z")
I’ve gotten some plums lately that have a pit which has separated inside the fruit. It hasn’t been all my plums (I’ve been canning, so I have a large sample size), but maybe a third to a half. Some of them are just split in half, but some (maybe the riper ones?) have rather large open spaces in the middle, with up to a half-dozen pieces of pit. Sometimes there’s something that I’m assuming is a seed, looks rather like an almond. Sometimes there’s some clear, damp crystallized stuff as well. It’s not something I’ve ever seen before, but I don’t eat a lot of plums (these are red plums, in case that matters). Anyone know what’s going on? ETA: Wasn’t sure if this ought to go in Cafe Society or General Questions, please move as necessary. ---
**Author:** ![jellyblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-plum-pits-exploding/515385/2 "2009-10-28T07:16:59Z")
I don’t have an answer for you, Runcible, but I’ve had a similar thing, only with fresh apricots/peaches (not a plum fan). This condition usually results in a not-worth-eating piece of fruit, IMO, so it’s annoying. And the crystallized stuff is worrisome. I generally just toss it when this happens. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-plum-pits-exploding/515385/3 "2009-10-28T17:00:25Z")
I would speculate that for some reason, storage conditions perhaps, the seed is about to germinate. Plant a couple beside in the potting medium with a houseplant and see if you get a shoot in a few months. ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-plum-pits-exploding/515385/4 "2009-10-31T17:53:28Z")
So, anyone know what the crystals are? ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-plum-pits-exploding/515385/5 "2009-10-31T19:06:08Z")
It’s called a split pit and is fairly common in stone fruit. It is the result of temperature fluctuations during the growth cycle. Generally, it is purely cosmetic and doesn’t change how the fruit will eat. But, it does make a handy cavity for insects to inhabit which, I suspect, has resulted in the “crystals” you mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-plum-pits-exploding/515385/6 "2009-10-31T19:43:45Z")
My first reaction was you should change their deodorant. Exploding pits is a pretty extreme problem. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-plum-pits-exploding/515385/10 "2024-02-20T13:02:59Z")
They might be plum tuckered out. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-plum-pits-exploding/515385/11 "2024-02-20T18:37:41Z")
[quote=“Ol\_Gaffer, post:5, topic:515385, full:true”] But, it does make a handy cavity for insects to inhabit which, I suspect, has resulted in the “crystals” you mentioned. [/quote] That will teach the OP to consult the Internet on anything.