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Homemade Umeboshi (Japanese Pickled Plums)

Prep Time45 minutes
Total Time120 days
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 20 servings

Ingredients  

  • 450 g Japanese plums (ume) ripe (yellow) medium-large size (approx 20)
  • 80 g sea salt approx 18% weight of the ume
  • 2 tbsp white liquor shochu, sake, vodka or similar - for sterilizing
  • 80 g red perilla leaves (akajiso) perilla/aka shiso
  • 1 tbsp sea salt for the perilla leaves

Instructions 

  • Place 450 g Japanese plums (ume) in a bowl and fill it with water. Gently wash the surface of the plums and remove the stems using a bamboo skewer.
    removing stem from ume plum using a bamboo skewer
  • Dry each plum with kitchen paper and place them on a clean surface.
    drying ume plums with kitchen paper
  • Pour 2 tbsp white liquor into a small bowl, then roll each plum in the liquid and place them in a large sealable freezer bag.
    washing ume plum with alcohol
  • Pour 80 g sea salt into the bag and massage until all the plums are evenly covered.
    massaging ume plums with salt in bag
  • Push the air out of the bag and seal. Place it in a rectangular container big enough that the plums make one layer without overlapping. Place a plate and weight on top of the bag, it should be double the weight of the plums (450g ume -> 900g weight).
    weights placed on top of ume plums
  • Rest in a cool dry place for 3-7 days and flip once a day to move the salt and juices around the bag. During this time the ume will release umesu (plum vinegar). Once the ume are fully submerged in the vinegar, reduce the weight by half.
    ume plums arranged into one layer in sealed freezer bag in a rectangular container
  • Wash 80 g red perilla leaves (akajiso) and cut off the thick stems. Place them in a glass bowl, sprinkle with half of the salt and massage thoroughly. Wear food-safe gloves to protect your hands from staining.
    rubbing red shiso leaves with salt in a glass bowl
  • Squeeze the shiso leaves thoroughly to release the foamy astringent water and discard.
    squeezing liquid out of red shiso leaves
  • Repeat with the other half of the salt and again squeeze out the water. This time, the liquid should be cleaner and more vibrant. Discard and place the washed leaves in a new bowl.
    squeezing out astringent liquid of red shiso leaves
  • Pour about 125ml of the accumulated plum vinegar from the ume into the bowl of shiso leaves and mix to loosen the leaves.
    washed red shiso leaves in liquid extracted from ume plums (ume vinegar)
  • Pour the contents of the bowl into the bag with the plums and gently massage to spread them evenly.
    adding red shiso leaves to pickled plums
  • Push the air out and tightly seal the bag. Cover with a weight equal to the weight of the plums and store in a cool dark place for 1-4 weeks. Flip the bag occasionally for a more even color.
    yellow Japanese plums (ume) pickling with red shiso leaves in a sealable freezer bag
  • When the weather is forecast to be sunny for 3 consecutive days, arrange the ume on a large tray. Make sure they're not touching or they will stick together. Place in a bright sunny area from morning to mid-afternoon, then return to the vinegar and repeat for 2-3 days.
    red pickled plums and red shiso leaves on a bamboo tray ready to be sun-dried
  • Pour the leftover plum vinegar into a clean glass jar and add the plums. Rest for 5 days to plump them back up.
    dried umeboshi in red vinegar in a sealable glass jar
  • You can leave the plums in the vinegar (more juicy and vibrant) or drain the vinegar and use it for other recipes. If the umeboshi is not stored in the vinegar, they will be chewier and lighter in color. (I usually do half in half out.)
    dried pickled plums in jars (one with juice, one without)
  • Store in a cool dark place for at least 3 months before eating. (The best time to eat is after 6-12 months). Enjoy!
    Holding homemade umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum) with black chopsticks over an off-white ceramic jar filled with umeboshi

Notes

Note: The nutritional information includes the pickling liquid.