Brandy Umeshu (ブランデー梅酒)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4-liter glass preserving jar with tight lid
• •Bamboo skewer or toothpick for removing stems
• •Clean kitchen towel

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the ume

   Choose firm green ume at shun, usually late May to June, with taut skin and no bruises or soft spots. A blemished fruit can cloud the whole jar, so be stricter here than you would be with fruit for jam. Do not use ripe soft yellow ume for this version; they ferment and break down more easily.

2. 2

   Sanitize the jar

   Use a clean 4-liter glass preserving jar with a tight lid. Rinse it with boiling water if the glass is heat-safe, or wipe the inside with food-safe alcohol, then let it dry completely. The jar must be clean and dry because this liqueur matures for months, and cleanliness now is easier than regret later.

3. 3

   Clean the fruit

   Wash the ume gently under cool running water. Lift out the small brown stem end with a bamboo skewer or toothpick, taking care not to tear the flesh. Dry the fruit one by one with a clean towel, then leave it spread out until no surface moisture remains.

   Dryness is the first secret. Water lowers the alcohol strength right where the fruit touches the liquid, and that is where mold would like an invitation.
4. 4

   Layer the jar

   Put a layer of ume in the jar, then a layer of rock sugar, and continue until both are used. Layering is not decoration. It spreads the sugar through the fruit so it dissolves evenly and draws juice from the ume slowly.

5. 5

   Add the brandy

   Pour in the brandy until the fruit is fully covered. Use brandy at 35 to 40 percent alcohol, not wine, sake, or a low-strength spirit. The alcohol strength is part of the preservation, and a weak base turns this from umeshu into a risk with good manners.

6. 6

   Seal and store

   Seal the jar and set it in a cool, dark place. For the first month, tilt the jar gently once or twice a week to move the sugar without bruising the fruit. Do not shake hard. Bruised ume can cloud the liquor and give a harsher edge.

7. 7

   Wait and taste

   Taste after three months if you must, but six months is better and a full year is better still. The color will deepen to clear amber, the brandy will soften, and the plum's tart perfume will move through the whole jar. Remove the fruit after one year if you want a cleaner, steadier liqueur for longer keeping.

8. 8

   Serve simply

   Strain what you need into a small glass and serve over one large ice cube, with cold water, or with soda water. Keep the pour modest. Brandy umeshu is sweet, strong, and best treated as a small closing note, not a tumblerful of enthusiasm.

Chef Tips

• •Ask for green ume meant for umeshu, not ripe fruit for jam. They should feel hard and heavy, with a clean tart smell and no wrinkling. Sourcing first, always.
• •Use 600g rock sugar for a drier liqueur and 800g for a rounder dessert-style one. The traditional range is broad because ume varies in tartness, but the slow-dissolving sugar is the method.
• •Don't pierce or crush the ume. Some cooks do, but whole fruit gives a clearer liqueur and less bitterness from damaged flesh or pits.
• •The steeped ume can be served in small pieces after maturation, but never eat raw green ume before it has been properly processed. The raw fruit is not food yet, however pretty it looks.

Advance Preparation

• •Make this in early summer when green ume are at their prime. It needs at least 3 months before tasting, 6 months before serving, and 1 year for the best balance.
• •Once matured, strain the liqueur into clean bottles and store it in a cool, dark place. It keeps well for a year or more if the fruit is removed and the bottles are clean.
• •Chill glasses or prepare large ice cubes before serving. A small cold pour shows the aroma better than a crowded glass.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 65g)