Plum

Fresh plums, in varieties ranging from purple to gold, are best bought during the summer months from local growers. In Iran, the small, round, green unripe or baby green variety known as gojeh—available in the U.S. in Persian groceries in the spring—are a favorite snack. They are also used as a souring agent in khoreshes and oshes and as a compote. For use throughout the year, different varieties of dried plums are sold at health food stores and Iranian groceries. They require only rinsing before use in a recipe.