Can you guess this awesome fruit?

OK, so dead giveaway - it is a stone fruit.  Apricot? Nectarine? Peach? Plum?  Nope.  Try Pluot.  Or maybe you might recognize it as a Plumcot.  Whatever you call it, it is a hybrid fruit from a specific combination of plums and apricots, and I found them in Costco this week!

When I googled the Pluot, I read some interesting facts: the original fruit, the Plumcot, was a 50-50 crossover between a plum and apricot.  The end result wasn't overly successful - they were hard to grow and to ship.  However, a genetics company over a period of several generations succeeded in an intricate cross breeding with roughly a 75-25 ratio of plum to apricot, and as such, created a more hearty, sweeter version they named the Pluot.  It resembles a plum more so than an apricot, though softer, sweeter and typically larger than a plum.  Some have labeled it a Dinosaur Egg for it's intricate markings on the skin. Today there are multiple colors, markings and varieties of the Pluot!

If you prefer apricots, try to hunt down a Plucot - this one resembles and tastes more like apricots than plums, so I would safely guess the fruit ratio is also stacked heavier on the apricot side!

Pink, red, yellow and orange hues dominate this fruit, but please avoid the green ones!  If you wait until the pluot is quite tender to the touch, when slicing through the fruit you'll have an explosion of juice and sweet fruit goodness - hats off to genetics!

Currently, my husband and I have already made a second trip back to Costco and are consuming them like the season is about to end! (Probably because it is)  But besides enjoying the fruit as a quick snack, what else to do with these new fruit?  I am going to head to the kitchen this weekend and find out!

On first thought, I refer to how I'd prepare a plum or apricot.  It might work well with ham or duck in a savory application.  For baking?  I'm sure a pluot tart or pie would be fantastic, or maybe a trifle or upside down cake.  Pluot compote with a rich pound cake?  Maybe the compote with a great cheese course - my husband would love that!  But at the end of the day, you can't go wrong transforming the contents of your fruit bowl into jam!

And how about a jam recipe?  Courtesy of Epicurious.com

Ingredients
3/4 pound ripe Pluots (about 3 large or 5 small), halved, pitted, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons (or more) balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon (or more) lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions
Place Pluots, honey, 4 teaspoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, lemon peel, rosemary, coarse salt, and pinch of pepper in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until fruit has broken down and mixture is thick, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool. Adjust seasonings; add chives.

So make the trek to Costco this weekend and grab a flat of Pluots - just make sure to save a few for me!