One of my unpardonable acts of juvenile misdemeanour was committed on a sultry summer day just like this. I believe I was only ten at the time.
My mother kept a jar of plum liqueur on the counter top of her kitchen, from which she would ladle out a dram at a time of the pick-me-up on summer evenings. The sweet scent of the amber liquid held in my mother’s hand always infatuated me, so much so that I pestered her most determinedly until she succumbed to my request for a taste. The powerful punch of the unripened ume-plums was euphoric; I never was a child who was happy with pop soda.
And that was the prelude to how, one day in a deserted kitchen, I found myself perched on top of the counter ever so casually, a bulging cheek the only giveaway to my wrongdoing. Choosing the soused plum instead of downing the liqueur itself was my way of respecting decency. Nonetheless, the sweet, crisp plum which oozed out nectar kept me in a state of rapture for a very long time.
Now that I am fully grown with a family of my own, I revel in stockpiling plum liqueur each year, enjoying an occasional shot of the matured liqueur just as my mother did. However, she and I clearly differ in one respect.
Unlike my mother who never doubted that a concoction of additives was a treat for children, I make darn sure that my son gets to indulge in a real kind of ambrosia, namely ume-plum cordial, and a whole lot more.
Plum Cordial Recipe
1kg Japanese ume-plums
1kg sugar (any type of one’s liking)
1. Sterilize and dry a 5L jar. I usually dry the jar out in the sun for several hours after thorough washing, and then to make doubly sure, rinse the inside using half a cup of cooking liquor with an alcohol content of 35% that is commonly available in the supermarkets.
2. Wash and dry the plums well.
3. Remove the caps from the plums using a wooden pick with care. Try not to damage the fruit as this will likely cause molding.
4. Place the plums and sugar in alternate layers in the jar. Make sure that the top is covered with a layer of sugar.
5. Place a lid and store in a cool dry place. Wait for roughly ten days for the juice to be extracted. The end result should be a brownish (the darkness will depend on the type of sugar used) syrup.
6. Discard the shrivelled plums with a sterilized utensil.
7. Store the syrup, preferably in a fridge.
8. Use roughly 2 tablespoons of the syrup to make a cup of cordial.
Some recipe sites recommend the plums be frozen prior to storage, in order to speed up the extraction process. NEVER DO THAT. You will end up with an insipid cordial that you’d wish you had never bothered to make.
Wow! You make it sound so irresistible and the dishes look amazing. Once again I’m completely mesmerized by your culinary skills!
Thank you, just a peasant.
. What conceit!
I do often make myself sound like a culinary diva, don’t I
Actually, of all the kind of beverages I make, ume-plum cordial is the only one that my son likes. Also, my husband doesn’t drink liqueur saying that sweet drinks are for girls. Ah, well.
Looks great!
Thank you, Anna.
Cicadas. Every year in early July, I always go to watch the emergence of cicadas by the foot of a great big cherry tree I know of. It is a magical sight to see them plucking out of the ground one by one in darkness, and single-mindedly move toward the trunk all in sheer silence. How these tacit beings transform into the buoyant creatures that sing their heart out in passion is always a wonder for me.
Ayano xxx.
Yes, you’ve articulated it so well. I haven’t yet had your experience of Cicadas, but I’ve witnessed a tree adorned with their last skins, their last moltings. Ghosts of Cicadas clinging to the armpits of trees. Quite a sight.
Hi Ayano,
Does the jar have an airtight seal? Also, I added a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice – any thoughts on that?
Hold on, what exactly are you making? Plum cordial with what kind of a plum?
No, the jar used for plum cordial should not be air tight, it just needs some kind of a cover to keep out dust and roaches and whatever. Also, the container should not be metal in the case of sour plums.
If the plum that you are using is ripe and sweet, yes, I think lemon juice will go nicely.
Also, be very wary of molds. Do not leave the cordial in making at room temperature for too long, especially with ripe plums. The juice will either begin to rot or ferment. If it ferments, well, that’s better than rotting, but still the taste will change gradually. If you don’t want the juice to ferment, then filter the juice into a sterile jar and place the jar in a pan full of boiling water, let it sit there for 10min, then after cooling down, store in the fridge.
Try to drink it up within a month. Actually, my plum cordial is still drinkable after 6 months, but that is with unripe ume-plums that are highly acidic and hence have the tendency to be antiseptic (gosh I’m talking to a biologist I hope I’m right in this).
Just in case, try dousing the plums in strong clear alcohol just before placing them with sugar, and make sure to discard any that have even the smallest damage on surface.
Ayano xxx
For the first 10 days you said to store in a cool, dry place. Did you mean the refrigerator then?
No, you don’t need to store it in the fridge while effusing the juice out. But I think it is best to keep it somewhere that is well ventilated. I wouldn’t keep it long in a room that will boil over during daytime. Plum cordial is the kind of drink that I wouldn’t make during summer time if I were out at work 9 to 5 during which the house gets closed up.
Do be careful of food poisoning.
Ayano xxx.