Maesil-ju (Green Plum Liquor)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •3-liter glass jar with tight lid
• •Kitchen scale
• •Skewer or toothpick for removing stems
• •Fine sieve or clean cotton cloth
• •Clean bottles for aging

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the plums

   Use only hard, green maesil with tight skin and no bruises. Soft or yellow fruit gives a muddy flavor and can break down in the jar. If you cannot buy good maesil in season, wait. This drink is mostly fruit and time, so poor fruit has nowhere to hide.

2. 2

   Wash and dry

   Rinse the maesil in cool water, then spread them on towels until every piece is dry, 2 to 3 hours if needed. Water trapped in the jar dulls the liquor and invites spoilage. Pull out the tiny stems with a skewer or toothpick; those stems carry bitterness.

   Do not rush the drying. A clean towel and patience are better than putting damp fruit under alcohol and hoping.
3. 3

   Prepare the jar

   Wash a 3-liter glass jar and lid with hot soapy water, rinse well, and dry completely. Swirl 2 tablespoons soju or vodka inside the jar and lid, then pour it out. The vessel can be modern glass, not an old onggi crock, but it must be clean and dry.

4. 4

   Layer fruit and sugar

   Put one third of the maesil in the jar, scatter over one third of the sugar, and repeat until both are used, ending with sugar on top. This layering helps the sugar dissolve evenly instead of sinking into one hard block at the bottom.

5. 5

   Add the soju

   Pour in the soju until the fruit is fully covered. Use 25 to 35 percent ABV soju made for steeping if you can find it; ordinary low-proof drinking soju is too weak after the fruit and sugar dilute it. Press the fruit down gently with a clean spoon if any pieces float above the liquid.

6. 6

   Seal and steep

   Seal the jar and set it in a cool, shaded place, away from direct sun. For the first week, turn the jar gently once a day to help the sugar dissolve. After that, leave it alone except to check that the fruit stays submerged. The liquor will move from clear to pale gold, then amber.

7. 7

   Pull the fruit

   On day 100, strain out every plum. Do not leave the fruit in the jar for months because the pits can give bitterness and the flavor gets coarse. Strain the liquor through a fine sieve or clean cloth into clean bottles.

8. 8

   Age and serve

   Let the strained maesil-ju rest at least 3 more months before serving, and 6 months is better. Serve it chilled or over one large ice cube in small glasses. It should taste tart, gently sweet, and clean, with the plum still speaking clearly.

Chef Tips

• •Look for maesil in late May through June. They should feel firm like small green stones. Bruised fruit belongs in neither cheong nor liquor.
• •Use strong steeping soju, called damgeumju-yong soju, when you can. If your market only sells low-proof soju, use neutral vodka instead. 시대가 바뀌면 음식도 바뀌어야 해요. When times change, food must change too.
• •Label the jar with the fill date and the fruit-pull date. The safe corner to cut is the vessel: a clean glass jar is fine. The corner not to cut is timing.
• •The strained plums are not for casual snacking. They have steeped with their pits and alcohol; discard them, or use only the liquor they gave you.

Advance Preparation

• •Maesil-ju must be started in maesil season, late spring to early summer, and needs 100 days before the fruit is removed.
• •After straining, age the liquor at least 3 months in a cool, dark place. It keeps well for a year or more if bottled cleanly and kept away from heat and light.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 65g)