Takada Ume, which is bigger than a golf ball, is a specialty of the Aizu region of Fukushima.
Locals have traditionally pickled Takada Ume in rock sugar. It has a crunchy texture and a faint sweetness, making it perfect for tea or rice.
While pickling Ume, I remembered eating pickles such as pickled Ume while drinking green tea with my grandmother when I was in elementary school.
TOC
INGREDIENTS for Sweet Pickled Ume
DAY 1: Preparation
- 1kg Takada Ume (Japanese green plums)
DAY2: Pickled in Salt
- 1 Food storage bag (Ziplock etc.)
- 80g coarse salt (8% of the plum weight)
- 1 tbsp shochu (vodka/white rum 35% or higher)
DAY5: Pickled in Red Shiso
- 300g red shiso
- 2 tbsp coarse salt
- 250g rock sugar (25% of the plum weight)
- 200ml vinegar
- 1 tsp shochu (vodka/white rum 35% or higher)
DAY12: Preserve
- 1.5L glass jar
INSTRUCTIONS for Sweet Pickled Ume
STEP
DAY 1: Preparation
- Select undamaged, green unripe Takada Ume (Ume/Japanese plums).
- Gently wash the Ume and soak them in salt water (3% / not listed) overnight to remove bitterness (use a non-metal bowl).
STEP
DAY2: Pickled in Salt
- Drain the Ume and wipe off the water with a clean cloth.
- Make a cut in the Ume with a kitchen knife, divide it into 8 equal parts, and remove the stems and seeds (you can also use a Ume-cracker to break them into suitable sizes).
- Put the Ume and shochu (vodka 35% or higher) in a food storage bag (Ziplock etc.) and mix. Add coarse salt and mix the salt with the Ume.
- Put a 2kg weight on the Ume and place them in the refrigerator for 3 days until the Ume vinegar comes out. Turn the Ume upside down once a day.
STEP
DAY5: Pickled in Red Shiso
- Pick red shiso leaves, wash well while changing the water several times, and squeeze out the water.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of coarse salt and rub it well with your hands to remove the bitterness. Squeeze the red shiso and discard the juice.
- Once again, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of coarse salt and rub it well with your hands. Squeeze the red shiso and discard the juice (Do not wash the red shiso with water).
- Add a little of the Ume vinegar from the salted plums to the red shiso and loosen (makes the color brighter).
- Spread the red shiso on the salted Takada Ume and add rock sugar, vinegar and shochu (vodka 35% or higher).
- Put a 2kg weight on it and place it in the refrigerator for a week, turning it upside down once a day.
STEP
DAY12: Preserve
- When the Takada Ume turn red, put the Takada Ume and Ume vinegar in a sterilized glass jar and store in the refrigerator.
STEP
DAY30: Ready to eat
- It tastes best after one month of pickling.
Preservation
・About 6 months in the refrigerator
