To be sure you're getting good mirabelle plums, they should have:

* A light delicate scent,
* A thin, almost taught, skin
* A sweet juicy pulp

Mirabelle plums are always picked when ripe. When you cut a mirabelle plum in half, its pit should come away on its own. This is a sign of perfect ripeness.

Never put mirabelle plums in the fridge!
Consume fresh mirabelle plums within a short time of purchasing them. They will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature.

On their own! Do you have to wash mirabelle plums before eating them? Not necessarily: you can just run them quickly under water to rinse off any dust from the market stall.

Lorraine

Mirabelles are preserved in vinegar to accompany liver sausage, meat turnovers, jellied suckling pig; veal fillet is cooked in a casserole with mirabelles, chanterelles and a little glassful of brandy. They are also featured in delicious flambéed tarts.