Does it need checking? Plums are not commonly infested in the USA, and are infested outside and inside in Israel. To check them, remove scale insects from the skin, and check the fruit inside for worms. (Rav Moshe Vaya)
Rav Vaya’s rating
| USA | ✓ | not commonly infested (muchzak k’naki) |
| Israel | ★ ☆ | infested outside and inside |
Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha, Degree of Infestation chart, p. 940 (Plum)
Which bugs
- Grey scale insects on the skin. This is rare.
- A small worm inside the flesh. It can enter near the stem, or through a hole, soft area or dark spot on the skin. (Rav Moshe Vaya)
How to check
- Look at the skin for grey scale insects. Scrape them off with a fingernail or a knife.
- Round plums: make a cut across the top of the fruit, near the stem. Look for a sign that a worm went in.
- Look at the outside of the plum for a hole, a soft area or a suspicious spot.
- Cut out that area and check the flesh for a worm.
- Long (oval) plums: cut the plum in half along the groove. Remove the pit and check inside. (Rav Moshe Vaya)
Sources
- Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha, Degree of Infestation chart, p. 940 (rating).
- Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha: summary sheet “How to Find Worms in Summer Fruits” (published by Machon Aliya).
- Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha: summary sheet “Washing Fruits and Vegetables” (published by Machon Aliya).
Related
References: Rav Moshe Vaya — “How to Find Worms in Summer Fruits” (Machon Aliya, Hebrew) · Rav Moshe Vaya — “Washing Fruits and Vegetables” (Machon Aliya, Hebrew)
Source: Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha, p. 940
