Ginger Plum Smoothie

1. Put all of the ingredients in a blender and whirl until smooth. Let the blender run long enough so the mixture is truly pureed. This is especially important when using frozen plums; you need to give them a chance to get processed.

2. Pour the mixture into a glass and enjoy.

Selecting, Storing, and Pitting Plums

Plums are in season from May to October and come in several varieties and ranges of color. When buying plums at the farm stand or grocery store, you should look for fruit with smooth skin that is free of blemishes and discolorations. It shouldn't be wrinkled or have any soft or mushy spots. The grayish layer on the skin is perfectly normal and should not deter you from purchasing.

Once you bring home your ripe plums, store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If they are a little hard, you can leave them on the counter to soften. Once the plums are ripe, if you are not going to use them within a few days, you can freeze them and use within a year.

To pit plums, first cut in half, twisting the fruit to separate. Then, using the tip of a knife or your fingernail, loosen the pit from the half. If you have difficulty dislodging it, slice a piece or two from the half and try again. You don't want to force out the pit as this can damage the flesh.

Other Unexpected Smoothie Recipes

If you enjoyed this ginger plum smoothie and are looking for other fruit combinations that are out of the norm, there are several interesting recipes to choose from. A cantaloupe smoothie mixes the melon with orange juice, milk, vanilla yogurt, and a touch of honey if desired. To beat the heat of summer, try a watermelon smoothie, a creamy puree of frozen watermelon, milk, vanilla yogurt, and maple syrup.

When autumn approaches and that craving for pumpkin everything kicks in, instead of the calorie-laden coffee drink mix up a batch of a healthy pumpkin smoothy, which combines pumpkin puree with banana, vanilla yogurt, pumpkin pie spice, honey, and vanilla extract.