Soft pickled plum

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one ume by one day

Japanese plums, a species of apricot, turn yellow in June, the unripe fruits are harvested, packed with perilla leaves, which dye the plums red and give them better flavors. Ume-boshi are kept at almost all Japanese home.

Preparations of plum (in mid-June)

  1. Wash plums and soak into water for 4-5 hours.
  2. Drain the plums.
  3. Wipe up plum with a towel and take away a spray with a toothpick. Spray has an astringent taste.
  4. Photo: take away a spray(4,837byte)

First pickle

  1. Sprinkle salt into back of the earthenware receptacle or enameled ware, put plums on a step. Sprinkle salt and put plums again. Jam all plums like this way. Please kept a little of salt.
  2. After jam all plums, pour 1 cup clear distilled liquor and sprinkle the rest of salt.
  3. With a small lid resting directly on the plums and put 10 pounds weight on the lid.
  4. After a day, remove the weight and lid, and rock the receptacle once in a day.
  5. After 4 or 5 days, Seeped water comes up over plums, reduce weight in half. Cover with paper and leave at a cool place.

Preparations of perilla (from late in June to early in July)

  1. Wash perilla leaves and drain.
  2. Put perilla into a big bowl, sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt, mix well and leave for a while.
  3. Push and crumple perilla with both hands until perilla become soft. When seeped sap of perilla turn purple, press sap out of perilla.
  4. Wash the bowl, put back perilla with breaking up. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt, mix well.
  5. Again push and crumple perilla for about 5 minutes, press sap out of perilla.

Second pickle

  1. Put breaked up perilla with chopsticks into the receptacle of the first pickled plums.
  2. Tilt the receptacle for plum juice sink into perilla.
  3. Perilla turn bright red in a few minutes, put glass plate as a lid.
  4. Put 5 pounds weight on the lid, cover with paper and leave at the cool place by Doyou boshi.

Doyou boshi - summer airing (at the end of the rainy season - last ten days of July)

  1. Put a flat bamboo colander on the bowl. Put pickled plum and perilla on the colander. Drain off plum juice, pour back juice of bowl into the receptacle.
  2. Hang out the colander with string at an airy outdoors.
  3. Boil plum juice with aremove the bitter taste, pour back into the cleanliness receptacle.
  4. Dry plum in the sun until its surface becomes dry and wrinkle for 3-4 days. Bring at indoors for night.
  5. Put back dried plum and perilla into the receptacle, put glass plate as a lid. Put 1 pound weight on the lid, cover with paper and leave at the cool place for about 10 days.

photo album of pickled ume plum

There are a sweet smell of plum all over the house.
(2005-06-24)
Very good ume plum this year (third days)
(2005-06-27)
Dried ume plum in the intervals of rain.
(2005-08-06)
Little bit small plum of this year
(2007-07-27)