Homemade Honey Umeboshi

配料

Ume plums: 2 kg / 70.5oz

Salt: 300 g / 10.6 oz (15% of the weight of the plums)

Honey: 80 g / 2.8 oz (4% of the weight of the plums)

Granulated sugar: 120 g / 4.2 oz (6% of the weight of the plums)

Red perilla leaves - Prepare a minimum of 10% and a maximum of 20% of the weight of the plums to achieve a strong color and flavor.

Salt - Use approximately 17-18% of the weight of the red perilla leaves.

步骤

For the honey umeboshi, first mix the salt and honey together.

1. Remove the stems.

Remove plums that are too soft (spoiled) as they may rot faster.

2. Wash.

Go to the kitchen and rinse the plums with water.

3. Wipe.

Gently wipe the plums to dry them slightly.

4. Let them dry.

Allow the plums to dry for a short period.

5. Place the plums.

Repeat the process of sprinkling salt on the plums, ensuring that the salt is evenly distributed over all the plums. The salt has a sterilizing effect and helps prevent the plums from spoiling.

(For honey plums, sprinkle granulated sugar on top.)

6. Fill a bag with water and place it in the jar (to be used as a weight). Store the jar in a place away from direct sunlight.

What image do you have of umeboshi? Is it red?

Actually, the red color comes from red perilla, not just the umeboshi itself.

Red perilla is added for aesthetics, creating a visually appealing contrast with white rice. The red color is achieved through a chemical reaction between red perilla components and citric acid in umeboshi.

Besides color, red perilla adds nutritional benefits and antimicrobial properties to umeboshi. Perilla is an herb native to China and has been used medicinally for food poisoning.

Adding red perilla is timed when the plum vinegar (umeboshi vinegar) has matured, typically 3 to 7 days after starting the umeboshi-making process.

1. Remove the thick green stems and discard them.

2. Wash the red perilla leaves to remove any dirt, then drain them well in a colander to remove excess water.

3. Place the red perilla leaves in a large bowl and add half of the salt. Knead the leaves well to release any bitterness.

4. Squeeze out the liquid from the red perilla leaves, discarding the extracted liquid. Return the squeezed red perilla leaves to the bowl and sprinkle the remaining salt over them.

5. Knead the leaves again, and you will notice more liquid being released. Squeeze out the liquid once more and discard it. It's important to remove as much bitterness and astringency as possible by discarding the liquid.

6. Add about 200ml of the umeboshi vinegar that was collected from the Umeboshi container to the squeezed red perilla leaves and mix well. The vinegar will quickly turn red, indicating that a chemical reaction has started.

7. Spread the red perilla leaves over the Umeboshi and pour in the red-colored vinegar as well. Finally, use chopsticks to gently separate and mix the red perilla leaves, allowing them to blend well with the vinegar and transfer their color throughout the container.

8. Place a weight on top of Umeboshi so that they are fully submerged in the vinegar. Wait for the rainy season to pass (until the plums are fully pickled).

Day 3 :

1. Take out Umeboshi and place them on a drying tray to facilitate the drying process.

2. Arrange the plums one by one on a sieve and position it in a sunny spot.

3. In the evening, move the sieve indoors.

4. After a few more days have passed, flip the plums and continue drying them for several more days.

5. Once the plums' skins become soft after the sun-drying process, umeboshi is complete.