Dates Vs Prunes: What's The Difference?

Even among those who know about and, indeed, love dried fruit, there may still be some confusion about the differences between prunes and dates. While they may look similar at first glance (they're around the same size and have wrinkled skin), dates usually boast a brown, often caramel color, while prunes typically sport a deep purple color that looks black in some instances. Despite their crinkled texture, prunes have an almost slick skin compared to dates, though both will make for sticky fingers due to their high sugar content. In addition to the differences in their appearance and texture, dates and prunes are not related; in fact, they're not even fruit cousins like peaches and plums. 

While there are a variety of dates that grow worldwide, prunes are usually only made from a specific kind of French plum called the La Petite d'Agen. As they come from different fruits (dates being their own), their flavors are very different from one another. In addition to their color, dates taste very similar to caramel, which is why they are often the main ingredient for caramel apples. Conversely, prunes have a sweet yet earthy flavor and a consistency that has sometimes been compared to jam or jelly. This makes them a great addition to a fruit and cheese plate, but not such good candidates for coating apples.

Dates, the brown-hued fruits that come from the date palm tree, are native to the Middle East and North Africa. Compared to prunes, dates are often longer and thinner. This may be why their name stems from the Greek word daktulos, which translates to fingers. Most varieties of dates are allowed to stay on their host trees until they're soft and fully ripe. Eventually, this process dries the fruit a bit and gives it the wrinkled look that the fruit is known for. It's the curing process that turns this already-sweet fruit into the botanical equivalent of candy on a tree. 

Full of nutrients, dates are a staple Ramadan food and a popular go-to snack to eat with a hot drink in the afternoon, as well as an important ingredient in cooking and on appetizer plates, where their natural sweetness complements spicy and savory ingredients nicely. Smoothies, oatmeal, and baked goods that are made with whole or chopped dates boast a natural source of sweetness, as well as vitamins, minerals, and fiber. 

In the U.S., two types of dates are commonly found in grocery stores and at farmers markets: Deglet Noor and Medjool. The production of Medjool dates can be expensive and time-consuming, which is why they often have a higher price tag than other types of dates. Barhi, a somewhat fragile type of date (as far as dates go), is grown in California and is popular in desserts. Other common types of dates include Kadrawi, Halawi, and Mazafati. Finally, while dates are stone fruits, like their prune-y counterparts, they're related to pines and figs, instead of apricots, peaches, and nectarines, like plums, and therefore, prunes, are.

Unlike dates, which are cured on the tree, prunes are a type of dried plum, which is a fall stone fruit. Specifically, most prunes come from the d'Agen plum, a large and hearty fruit whose plump countenance and large size make it ideal for prune-making. Compared to dates, which have been cultivated since 5,000 or 6,000 B.C., prunes are a relatively new phenomenon. The d'Agen plum responsible for the proliferation of prunes in the U.S. came from France in 1856. Horticulturist Louis Pellier brought this French plum to California, which he grafted with American plums. 

Nowadays, the majority of plums that turn into prunes come from the La Petite d'Agen plum tree that Pellier created. This tree is grown specifically to create fruit that's meant to be dried. It typically takes up to 3 pounds of plums to make a single pound of prunes. One plum tree produces up to 300 pounds of fruit a year, netting about 100 pounds of prunes.

As far as the prune's culinary uses go, it's a versatile dried fruit. Similar to raisins or dates, it can be enjoyed as a standalone snack and also be used in cooking. Some baked goods call for prunes, for instance. Think prune-stuffed cookies and rolls, and you have the right idea. Finally, ingredients like nuts and chocolate complement them nicely in recipes, giving them a more complex flavor and more interesting mouthfeel. In other words, if you learn how to dress up prunes, you have some great options when you want a sweet yet healthy after-dinner pick-me-up.