prune quetstion...

[greenfeline]

I purchased some prunes from the HFS bulk bins...I brought them home and a few days later they have white powdery stuff on them. I just store them in ziplocs in plastic containers in the cupboard. Are they bad? Anyone have any idea what the problem may be?

[Judy]

Fruit, especially soft fruits like prunes, can go bad rapidly. You have to eat them rather quickly after picking them or purchasing, especially when they are soft already or have been like 'bruised' (when in bulk, a lot of soft fruits can get squashed and turn bad even more rapidly). It sounds like... What's the English word? Damn! You know, like mill dread? If they are really soft they're probably bad. You can also smell them or open them up to see. Sometimes you can remove the skin or bad parts and eat what's still good, or use them in a smoothie.
And I think it's perhaps better to store them in the fridge, in a bowl (uncovered), so they stay fresh longer.

[frozenme]

Sound like mildew(is that the word you were looking for) or mold. Are the white spots hairy?

I store my squishy (prunes, dates) things in the refridgerator.

[greenfeline]

Hmmm...guess I shouldn't eat them! they are not hairy and white, but like powdery.

[BDraw]

I had the same problem with figs that I bought in bulk. I didn't realize anything was wrong, until my husband, who grew up around figs, let me know that they were bad. He said they were moldy. I took his word for it and trashed them. :(