What Is It And How Do I Cook It: Japanese Plums

I usually see ume in two forms.  The most poetic of the two are the delicate blossoms that whisper spring, peeking between branches gnarled by late January's chill.  More mundanely, ume fruit often show up as umeboshi, pickled plums that accompany rice, in a bento box or at dinner.  Strictly speaking, ume aren't actually plums.  They are more closely related to the apricot.  I didn't really give the edible form of ume much thought (although the flowers make me swoon) until I was at the grocery store earlier this week and saw small, green fruits in the produce department.

"Oooooh, what is this?!" Upon returning home with this strange fruit, my kanji bingo internet search was a success, and I was able to translate the characters as, "ao ume," or green plums.  Green plums!  I never would have guessed! Of course, my immediate next question was, "how do I cook it?"  The most common recipe, by far, that I found was that for umeshu.  Umeshu is a Japanese liquor that is made with shochu (a liquor distilled from sweet potatoes or barley), rock sugar, and unripe, green ume.  Left in a refrigerator for a few months to two years, umeshu is an extremely popular drink in Japan.  When questioned, my English students enthusiastically discussed their enjoyment of umeshu.

Since opening a personal distillery is possibly the Number One Red Flag that deployment is not going well, I decided to try an ume recipe with less kick.  Honey Sour With Ume sounded like it would be quite refreshing once sweltering August rolls around!  Drink recipes containing ume require a jar with with an airtight lid, so I popped in the Odakyu department store's kitchen department as I switched trains, in Fujisawa the next day.  Ta da!  A jar with an airtight lid was for sale. It even had a giant photo of green ume on the box.  Fortunately, I had the few remaining ingredients already in the apartment.  Little TF and I shoved the dirty dishes off the counter and rolled up our sleeves.  

First: wash and sterilize the jar.

Second: Wash and dry the plums, and pull off any stems.

One should have a Honey Bear in one's cupboard for just these kinds of situations.

Third:  Take equal amounts in weight of plums, honey, and vinegar (the vinegar can be rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar). Combine it all in the jar.

I don't own a kitchen scale. Converting the grams of the plums to the ounces of cider
vinegar sounded annoying.  I filled the jar until the plums were just covered with vinegar.

 Fourth:  Let the jar sit in a cool, dark place (mine is in the fridge) for 3-4 weeks.  This is essentially creating a simple syrup of ume.
Fifth: Sit back and wait!

I forgot to de-stem my ume.  Oops.

Making this recipe is something that needs to be done fairly soon.  As with most Japanese produce, the season for fresh ume is brief.  Hurry to your closest Japanese grocery so that you, too, can enjoy making Honey Sour.  Enjoy your Honey Sour on the rocks, diluted with water, or as a syrup on shaved ice.  I will return in four weeks with a report!

Ganbatte!

-The Tofu Fox

If you have just arrived in Japan, this is a GREAT time to make your own umeshu.  Prep the plums as in the recipe above.  Instead of honey, use rock sugar.  Rock sugar is found in Japanese grocery stores alongside table sugar, and looks like giant chunks of American rock candy. 500 grams of sugar to 1 kilo of plums is recommended, but a slight adjustment to taste in either direction is also ok.  Add a layer of plums to the jar.  Cover with a layer of rock sugar.  Repeat.  Pour in shochu (or vodka) until the layers are completely covered. The jar should only be half-full.  Any more, and the liquid released by the plums could cause the top to burst off!  Leave the jar in a cool, dark place for at least five months.  Two years is ideal.  Shake the jar, occasionally, to move things along. Drink straight or on the rocks.


I'm excited to experiment with other fruits, strawberries in particular!


For more details and the original recipe that I used, visit justhungry.com.


Disclaimer:  I do my best to make sure all my information is accurate.  However, details may change or I may just be flat-out wrong.  Please let me know if something needs a correction.  Thank-you!