Homemade Umeshu - a family recipe for Japanese plum liqueur.
Ume plums come into season in late May. They can be made into a liqueur that is great for sipping in the winter, and if you get started in May the umeshu will be ready by Christmas. It’s cheap and easy to make yourself, with this treasured family recipe.
Ingredients
- 600 g Ume
- 600 ml Double-distilled Chinese rice wine or Japanese Shochu
- 400 g sugar
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash your glass container(s), hands and other equipment.
- Wash and drain the ume. Using a fork, remove the stem and poke holes into each fruit.
- Drop the de-stemmed and hole-poked fruit into the container(s). Add the appropriate amount of sugar and cover with the corresponding amount of rice wine.
- Seal off the container(s) and leave in a cool, dark place for at least 6 months.
- After aging for a sufficiently long period of time, open and enjoy! Re-seal any leftovers and keep in a similarly cool, dark place.
Notes
Feel free to scale up or scale down the recipe to fit your container(s).