Mark Larson, of Omaha, Neb., for his question:

WHERE DO PRUNES COME FROM?

Prunes are dried plums, just as raisins are dried grapes. Actually, not all plums lend themselves equally well to the drying process  and those that do are called prune plums. They are sweet, dark plums, primarily the French prune plum, the Imperial, the Sugar and the Robe de Sergeant. These plum varieties come from trees that like a warm, dry climate with scant cold and rainy weather in the winter.

Prune plum trees really get going when they are about 7 years old. The fruit, which develops in the summer, is usually allowed to ripen on the tree. Then it is taken to a dehydration plant where it is washed and placed in a dehydrator. This machine dries the fruit for 14 to 24 hours, which reduces three pounds of fresh plums to about one pound of prunes. Before being packed to be sold, the prunes are cured for about two weeks. Following this they are given a steaming hot bath to pasteurize them and to bring their moisture content to between 26 and 32 percent.