‘n Pluksel Pruimedante

In Januarie, word een van die vrugte wat ek die meeste geniet ryp in die boord. Die Van der Merwe pruimedant is een van die soetste vrugte wat mens sekerlik kan kry.

Van laat Januarie tot vroeg Februarie, moet ek bont staan om te verseker dat ek ‘n pluksel kry. Die voëls gee vir hulle al toets pikke die oomblik as hulle hul dof vaal pers kleur begin kry.

Die pruimedant is familie van die pruim maar by Ashton Kwekery, in ‘n buurdorp van Bonnievale, verskyn dit nie in die vrugteboom katalogus onder pruime nie maar wel in sy eie kategorie as pruimedant. Dit kan heel verwarrend raak. Die oomblik waneer jy pruimedant na Engels vertaal, raak dit “prune” in plaas van “plum”. Die woordeboek verwys na ‘n “prune” as ‘n gedroogte pruim.

Wikipedia verwys na ‘n “prune” as ‘n “dried plum of any cultivar”. Die gebruik van die term “prune” om na vars pruime te verwys bestaan blykbaar nie meer nie. Behalwe as daar na spesifieke soorte pruime verwys word wat uitsluitlik gekweek word om gedroog te word.

So dit lyk asof die pruimedant nog net sy eie identiteit in Afrikaans het. ‘n Ander kenmerk van ‘n pruimedant is dat dit ‘n losser pit het wat maklik verwyder kan word. Beslis ‘n voordeel indien jy dit wil droog. Pruime daarenteen het vaste pitte. Die pruimedant is soet tot teen die pit, waar ander pruime so ‘n surigheid teenaan die pit het. Pruimedante is ovaal waar ander pruime meer rond is.

Die voorouer van die Van der Merwe pruimedant is in die twaalfde eeu gebore. Die Benediktynse monikke van die Clairac Abdy, in die Lot Vallei tussen Agen en Villeneuve in Frankryk, het Damas pruime van Sirië geent op ‘n plaaslike kultivar. Hulle het die Damas pruim terug gebring na hulle derde Kruistog.

Hierdie nuwe kultivar het bekend gestaan as die Prune d’Ente (van die ou Franse word “enter”, wat om te ent beteken). Dit is ook duidelik waar die gebruik van die Afrikaanse woord om die een boom op die ander te ent vandaan kom. Die nuwe pruim vanaf Agen, of die Agen pruim, word beskryf as ‘n pers-blou pruim met ‘n ligte poeierige was lagie, met ‘n delikate smaak en geur.

Die vrugte is uitgevoer en met die stempel van hul hawe van oorsprong, het hulle bekend geraak as “Pruneaux d’Agen”.  

Die eerste pruimedant bome, Prune d’Agen is na Suid Afrika ingevoer deur Harry Pickstone in 1892. Die Van der Merwe pruimedant is ‘n oogmutasie van die oorspronklike Franse varieteit en is gekweek deur J. van der Merwe in die Breërivier Vallei.

Die Van der Merwe pruimedant word beskou as een van die beste pruimedant varieteite in die wereld. Diè pruimedant  benodig ‘n minder koue winter om vrugte te dra. Dit is dus beter aangepas vir produksie in Suid Afrika met sy minder koue winters en baie sonskyn.

Pruimedante word meestal gedroog en is gewild in die maak van geregte wat baat vind by die geurige en intense smaak. Pruimedante is baie voedsaam en is ryk aan vitamien K, verskeie B vitamienes en minerale. Dit is ryk aan vesel wat ook ‘n lakserende effek het.

Geskiedkundig is ons voorouers bekend daarvoor om vrugte in alkohol in te lê om dit langer vir verbruik te hou. Hierdie inlê van vrugte gaan gepaard met hul eie name om die produk te beskryf. Appelkose in brandewyn is Boeremeisies met hul ronde bloswange, vars Hanepoot druiwe in brandewyn is Kaapse Jongens met hul oop gesigte, Hanepoot rosyne in brandewyn is Boerejongens met hul son verimpelde gesigte, droë appelkose in brandewyn raak oujong nooiens waar die blos in die wange al so bietjie verweer het en droë pruimedante in brandewyn word trompoppies genoem.

Toe ek die eerste keer met ‘n fles trompoppies in my hand staan kon ek nie verstaan waarom die gedroogte pruimedante in brandewyn trompoppies genoem word nie. Tot dat ek herinner is dat gedroogte pruimedante ‘n lakserende effek het en hoe ‘n persoon beweeg wat dringend by ‘n toilet moet kom, veral as die deur ook nog gesluit is. Ek moes toegee dat dit ‘n gepaste naam is, maar moes wonder wie met dié naam voorendag gekom het.

Lank voordat daar enige pruimedante in Suid Afrika gegroei het, het pruimedante met hul vaal-pers voorkoms al menige kunstenaar in Europa geinspireer. Een van hulle was Louise Moillon (1610-1696), ‘n stillewe kunstenaar van die St-Germain-des-Prés distrik in Parys. 

              Still Life with Basket of Plums, 1629 - Louise Moillon (1610-1696)

Louise word beskou as een van die beste stillewe kunstenaars van haar tyd. Sy was bekend vir die Flaamse styl wat teenwoordig is in haar kunswerke. Haar temas was meestal vrugte wat op tafels gerangskik was.  Ek vind haar “Still Life with Basket of Plums” wat sy in 1629 geskilder het baie interesant. Dit is duidelik ‘n mandjie met Prune d’Argen, met hul vaalpers voorkoms en die geel vlees van die oopgebreekte vrug wat langsaan lê.
  

                              Still Life with Plums - Louise Moillon (1610-1696)

Dieselfde pruime word gebruik as tema in haar skildery “Still life with plums”. Weereens kan mens die geel vleis van die oopgebreekte pruim sien. Selfs Luis Melendez kon dit nie weerstaan om hierdie heerlike vrug te skilder nie.

Still life with plate of plums, figs and bread -Luis Egidio Meléndez (1716–1780)

Die pruimedant was nog altyd deel van die Towerwater vrugteboord. Ons geniet die suikersoet heerlikheid daarvan. Ek geniet gedroogte pruimedante as ‘n peuselkos, in voorgeregte, hoofgeregte en nageregte. Dit is uiters veelsydig as droëvrug. Ek sal eendag sy moontlikhede as ‘n vars vrug verken maar tot dan is die songeel soetigheid ‘n bederf in Januarie se Klein-Karoo hitte by Towerwater.  

Sources:

https://ipaprunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/History-of-prunes-in-South-Africa.pdf

http://www.pruneau.fr/history.html

file:///C:/Users/50613189/Desktop/Van-Der-Merwe.pdf

https://www.arc.agric.za/Economic%20Impact%20Assessment%20Studies/Estimating%20the%20Economic%20Rate%20of%20Return%20to%20Plum%20Research%20Investments%20in%20South%20Africa.pdf

https://www.saplant.co.za/varieties/prunes/van-der-merwe/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prune

https://www.hortgro.co.za/news/prune-tree-symbol-of-future/#:~:text=The%20first%20prune%20trees%20in,the%20shade%20of%20the%20tree.

Wrapping up 2020

We are looking forward to 2021 with new hopes and dreams. 2020 was a year like no other, not asking change, but demanding it. As with any uncertain time, fear tends to creep into one’s existence, often clouding decisions. We tend to forget that our ancestors lived through a lot of uncertain times, endured for longer periods. Wars, plagues and the great depression are but a few.

Yes, 2020 was not easy. But it also taught us what is important, namely, family and friendship, and how easy it is to lose those prized connections. The past year gave us more time at Towerwater. Time to reflect on how far we have come with our dreams and projects.

The Cape mountain fynbos garden

A view of the garden and parking terraces

The Vredehof project of restoring and renovating Keith’s family home against Devil’s Peak, in Cape Town, came to an abrupt midway stop during lockdown. This put strain on an already stretched budget for the project. Although it was not always easy, we remained positive and focused, and persevered until the work could continue again.

A view from the flat's parking terrace to the entrance patio

Paved yard, entrance patio and steps serving the flat

In a time of new routines, of disinfecting, distancing, and mask-wearing, we picked up where we had left off at the end of levels 5 and 4 of lockdown. We reduced the number of contractors that could be on the project at any one time. Our personal health was at stake, as much as anyone else’s. It would have been easier and more cost effective to have had the builders, painters, plumber, electrician, tarring contractor, fence contractor, carport contractor and paving contractor, among others, on the project at the same time. For our own safety, and that of the different contracting teams we drastically scaled down the number of people working on site at any given time.

Main house kitchen/dining room deck, yard and summer house

A summer house, sunny in winter and protected from summer gales

This extended the duration of the project, but it also relieved the extra stress that the pandemic introduced of being responsible for a person or people contracting Covid-19 on site. Fortunately, given our precautions, that eventuality did not materialise.

Entrance hall with Doric columned entrance to the living room

It did however, slow down the project with major financial implications. From the beginning of August, Keith physically tackled the snag list on his own. For the big issues he got a contractor in to help him. When I took my annual leave in December, I joined him on site. We managed to complete the interior work with the help of a painter by 24 December and headed to Towerwater for Christmas for a well-deserved three-day break, shortly after packing up.

Entrance to the flat

On Monday 28 December, we resumed the work at Vredehof. With the help of the painter, we resolved all the outdoor snags by 30 December. On the afternoon of 30 December, we could hand over the keys, manuals and guidelines to the agent that will manage the lease for us.

Vredehof renovation and restoration project done and dusted

When everybody was off site, the bakkie loaded with all the left-over material and dirt, the two of us tended to minor issues. I washed all the floors for one last time. Keith locked up and secured the property before we headed home to Elmwood. At home we enjoyed a well-deserved glass of MCC to celebrate the completion of this longstanding dream of Keith.

Early on 31 December, we headed home to Towerwater feeling light and free. With the year all but over, we relaxed in the knowledge that we had managed to overcome many obstacles and survive. Whatever 2021 brings, we are confident that we will manage it, fortified with the new insights and skills that we have acquired over this difficult time.

Day and.....

.... night beneath the oaks

With a glass of MCC under the Towerwater oaks, we bade farewell to 2020 and welcomed 2021. It is with an air of excited anticipation that we believe this year to be one in which new milestones and dreams are to be achieved.