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–+ servings

Japanese Ume Plum Syrup

Prep Time20 minutes
Soaking Time7 days
Total Time7 days 20 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 600 ml

Ingredients 
 

  • 500 g Japanese plums (ume) (ume) before freezing
  • 500 g rock sugar (korizato)

Instructions 

Preparing the plums

  • Wash your hands thoroughly and then wash 500 g Japanese plums (ume) with warm water. 
    Washing Japanese ume plums
  • Next, take a few clean tea towels. Use one tea towel to gently pat the plums dry, and another one or two to lay them out to dry fully.
    Drying Japanese ume plums
  • Remove the stems with a toothpick and discard.
    Picking stems out of plums
  • Once all of your plums are dry and destemmed, place them in a ziplock bag or sealable container and store them in the freezer for at least 24 hours. 
    Ume drying on a clean towel

Making the Syrup

  • Sterilize the jar by filling it with boiling water and letting it sit for a few minutes. After a few minutes, pour the liquid out. (Use protective gloves to hold the jar as the glass will be very hot.)
    Sterilizing a jar with boiling water
  • Place the jar on a clean drying rack and allow to air dry. (If you're impatient, wipe with a paper towel blotted with some alcohol.)
    Air drying a sterilized jar
  • Measure out 500 g rock sugar. Place a layer of frozen ume at the bottom of the jar, then top them with a layer of the rock sugar.
    A layer of ume plums
  • Continue to add layers of plums and sugar until the glass is full or you've used up all the plums and sugar. Seal the lid tightly and then store in a cool dark place.
    Ume and rock candy layered up in a jar
  • Tilt the jar every day to move the sugar and plums around. The ume syrup will be ready in 7-10 days.
    ume syrup with frozen plums
  • Remove the ume within 2-4 weeks and transfer the syrup to a smaller (sterilized) airtight jar.
    TIP: If your syrup still has lumps of sugar, melt it in a pan over a low heat until completely dissolved. Cool before use.
    completed ume syrup in a jar next to a jar of ume and rock sugar in layers on a wooden board
  • Enjoy it in drinks, poured over shaved ice, yogurt, etc.
    Store in a cool dark place for up to 3 months, or up to 1 year in the fridge!
    ume syrup mixed with water and ice in a glass with a jar of ume syrup in the background

Notes

If stored properly in a clean airtight container, ume can be kept frozen for 8-12 months.
Do not defrost the ume before use, place them in the jar with the sugar while they're still frozen.
Make sure to tilt the jar every day to move the sugar and Japanese plums around. Set a reminder so you don't forget!
After 2-4 weeks remove the ume from the jar.
Store the ume in a cool dark place for up to 3 months, or up to 1 year in the fridge.
For ume "juice", I personally mix 1 part syrup with 4 parts water or club soda. (100ml syrup to 400ml water/soda).