# Why do prunes get a bad rap? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 28, 2019, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333 "2019-02-28T13:07:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/21 "2019-02-28T19:46:11Z")
There reputation, in my generation, came from grandparents cooking up stewed prunes when they needed ‘regularity’ and feeding them to whichever grandkids were around as a preventative measure. And when I say stewed, I mean falling to bits so that it’s easy to fish the pits out with a spoon. They weren’t too bad if they were still warm, but once they got cold they didn’t seem anything but medicinal. And of course if Grandma made more than she needed, she couldn’t throw them out because that would be wasting food. So they’d be waiting in the refrigerator for whoever visited next. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/22 "2019-02-28T19:57:35Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Incidentally, do they sell chopped prunes? Maybe they’d be more popular if people didn’t have to eat them whole. Looks like Sunsweet had [the same idea](https://www.sunsweet.com/products/diced-prunes/). ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/23 "2019-02-28T20:04:39Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > You can have my share, if you like them. A diet heavy in prunes would do you a world of good. Somehow I’m sensing some hostility… ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/24 "2019-02-28T22:10:05Z")
I’m not crazy about standard prunes made from the dark-blue oval Italian plums, which I think are a bit insipid, but [dried Angelino plums](https://nuts.com/driedfruit/plums/) are freaking amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/25 "2019-02-28T22:22:07Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > I like prunes and it’s been months since I’ve had any. This thread reminded me to get some at the store! > > What I do have at home (which I like even more than regular prunes) are dried salted prunes / plums, which are a popular snack in China, Southeast Asia and Mexico: > [Li hing mui - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_hing_mui) > [Saladitos - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saladitos) > Some people find them addictive: > [https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/restaurants/im-eating-what-dried-plums-from-an-asian-market-6399470](https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/restaurants/im-eating-what-dried-plums-from-an-asian-market-6399470) > > I’ve yet to meet a non-Asian who likes them; the addicted author of the article linked above seems to be the exception. I’ve heard Caucasians who pride themselves on being adventurous eaters say that they’re disgusting. Whether it’s because, prunes, or if they just don’t care to acquire the taste, I don’t know . I’m another non-Asian who likes them. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/26 "2019-03-01T01:32:34Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Somehow I’m sensing some hostility… Not at all. Your health and ability to think clearly are important to me. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/27 "2019-03-01T01:46:23Z")
As **snowthx** mentioned upthread, the fact that stewed prunes have been served in most unappetizing fashion as part of school lunches (when I was in elementary and middle school c. late 60s/early 70s - no idea about later periods in school lunch history) wouldn’t have helped their reputation. I was not a cool kid, though; I generally ate my prunes, as I didn’t mind them. Another possible factor is that they sometimes are (or were - I haven’t had any in a long time) preserved with sulfates. Not everyone can tolerate that. I fart copiously and stinkily if I consume dried fruit preserved with sulfates. I found this out in college when my parents sent me a gift basket that included a large bag of assorted dried fruit. My dorm room was almost uninhabitable for days, until I figured out why I was suddenly so gassy. To this day I have pretty much sworn off of dried fruit other than raisins and cranberries, just in case. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/28 "2019-03-01T01:47:35Z")
Not Asian, and I love them. Gotta get the raw unsulfated kind though. I’m allergic. It goes great with roast pork too. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/29 "2019-03-01T02:36:35Z")
I love prunes even more that Circus Peanuts. Seriously. I actually eat prunes pretty often; Circus Peanuts I only have every few years. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/30 "2019-03-01T02:46:04Z")
Prunes are all right, but there a lot of fruits I would prefer. I also don’t understand why they have their bad rep. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/31 "2019-03-01T03:29:17Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Everything about that woman’s expression and demeanour screams “I JUST POOPED AND IT WAS WOOONNNNNDERFUL!! I FEEL SO LIGHT AND UNENCUMBERED … BY POOP!!” That sounds like Jamie Lee Curtis and her Activia commercials. When my friend’s daughter, who will be 24 in a few weeks, was starting solids, she offered her prunes only because her then-husband could buy them for $1 a short-dated case, because he worked for the company that packaged them. She loved them, which surprised them because, as my friend put it, “They have an awfully strong flavor.” IDK if she still likes them. I agree that they’ve had a bad rap because of their “old people’s food” reputation, and that they aren’t the prettiest food out there. I do buy them occasionally, and not because I “have” to. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/32 "2019-03-01T03:49:32Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I agree that they’ve had a bad rap because of their “old people’s food” reputation [“We are the fruit that your grandmother loves.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN-sX6IXGcg%5B/url) ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/33 "2019-03-01T07:22:09Z")
I rediscovered prunes lately, and it turns out they’re lovely (though I don’t think I’ll try stewed prunes again; just the descriptions here brought back mild emetic memories). I think the association with crapping doesn’t help their reputation - the reverse of oysters, where their sliminess is countered by the promise of sexual prowess. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/34 "2019-03-01T08:10:42Z")
What about prune juice? I loved it when I was a kid and had no idea of its laxative properties. I haven’t had any since. In fact, I haven’t SEEN any since. Do people still buy it? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/35 "2019-03-01T09:12:22Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Pretty sure it’s a matter of concentration; it’s easy to sit down and eat 5-6 prunes in a sitting without it being much of a problem, but eating the equivalent amount of fresh plums is likely to be more messy and difficult. Yes, fresh plums have more bulk, but I love plums, fresh or dried, and I _could_ eat a half dozen fresh ones at a sitting. Not so much messy as bulky. It’s easier to eat more dried fruits than fresh because of the lesser bulk… which can raise the issues of calories. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/36 "2019-03-01T09:18:57Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > What about prune juice? I loved it when I was a kid and had no idea of its laxative properties. I haven’t had any since. In fact, I haven’t SEEN any since. Do people still buy it? They must, because my store stocks plenty of it on the shelf. You know, I don’t ever recall having stewed prunes. Maybe that in part accounts for my love of them, I was never traumatized with the stewed variety. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/37 "2019-03-01T09:19:19Z")
I don’t buy prunes often but I’m pretty sure when I do buy them the packaging does call them “dried plums” or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/38 "2019-03-01T11:39:50Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > [“We are the fruit that your grandmother loves.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN-sX6IXGcg%5B/url) Prunes are the Buick of dried fruits, it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/39 "2019-03-01T11:41:02Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > What about prune juice? I loved it when I was a kid and had no idea of its laxative properties. I haven’t had any since. In fact, I haven’t SEEN any since. Do people still buy it? I have some in my fridge. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333/40 "2019-03-01T12:37:23Z")
Whenever I’m at a conference that gives you breakfast, I’m the one who grabs a prune danish. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prunes-get-a-bad-rap/830333.md?page=3)