- 1). Examine the plums' skin color to help determine whether the fruit is ripe. Deep, rich colors usually signify that wild plums are ripe, while pale, light colors generally indicate that plums need more time to ripen. However, do not determine the plums' ripeness solely on their skin color.
- 2). Squeeze the plums gently between your fingers to determine how soft or firm the plums' flesh is. Ripe wild plums generally yield to gentle pressure while immature plums are hard.
- 3). Shake the branch to determine which wild plums are ripe. Vine movement causes ripe plums to fall off twigs with ease, while unripe plums remain firmly attached. However, some ripe plums may remain attached.
- 4). Pull at any remaining ripe-looking wild plums without picking them. Ripe plums separate from the vine with only slight force. Immature wild plums require yanking to detach them from the vine.
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