The fresh plums travel immediately from the orchard to the drying facility, where they are washed and put into temperature-controlled drying tunnels to become California Prunes. California is the perfect place to grow prunes because of the lush valleys with rich soils and the long, warm growing season.

Where do most prunes come from?

Most prunes are made from the La Petite d'Agen plum, which was brought to California from France in 1856 by French horticulturist Louis Pellier. Almost 99 percent of the American crop of prunes comes from Pellier's French plum tree which was originally grafted to an American plum tree.

Where are prunes grown in the US?

The rich valley soil and abundant water supply provide ideal growing conditions for high quality prunes. Prunes are grown almost entirely in the U.S., with 70 percent of the world's supply coming from California.