Japanese Umeshu plum wine is a drink that is delicious with a sweet and sour taste that’s easy to drink and has a special aroma. Have you ever tasted this type of wine? Let’s join cooking with TasteVN to find out right now how to easily and deliciously make Japanese Umeshu plum wine in 2 simple ways!
1. Japanese Umeshu Plum Wine
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Preparation
1 hour 25 minutes
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Processing
35 minutes
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Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Japanese Umeshu Plum Wine For 6 people
Fresh plums 1 kg White wine 1.8 liters Rock sugar 700 gr Salt A little
Tools needed
Image of ingredients
How to Make Japanese Umeshu Plum Wine
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Preparing the Ingredients
After purchasing the plums, soak them in a bowl of diluted salt water for about 1 hour to remove dirt and reduce fuzz. At the same time, remove the stems from the plums and discard any bruised or damaged fruit once again.
Next, gently wash each plum in clean water by hand, avoiding excessive force or strong water pressure as it may crush the plums, and allow them to drain.
Then, use a clean dry cloth to wipe each plum. After that, skillfully and gently use a toothpick to dig deep into the stem area to remove any remaining dirt that is stuck deep inside.
As for the infusion jar, you should wash it thoroughly and rinse it briefly with boiling water, then use a dry cloth to clean it.
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Pickling with alcohol
First, gently place each apricot at the bottom of the jar in one layer, then cover with a layer of rock sugar, continuing until all the apricots and rock sugar are used up. The top layer of apricots should be covered with a bit more sugar.
Then, pour the alcohol to fully submerge the apricots and press a plastic bag on top, in case the apricots float during the pickling process.
Finally, seal the lid tightly and you can additionally wrap a black plastic bag around the mouth of the jar, securing it with tape and not opening it until the fermentation time is reached. Place the jar in a dry, cool place, avoiding direct sunlight.
Tip for choosing a pickling jar: You should choose a pickling jar made of glass or ceramic, which will help the alcohol taste better and look more appealing compared to plastic jars.
Note: After 7 days of pickling the apricots, if you see that the sugar layer at the bottom has not dissolved, it means you have pickled correctly.
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Final Product
Umeshu Japanese Apricot Wine has an alcohol content of 14 – 18 degrees, classified as a light alcoholic beverage similar to shochu and sake, very easy to drink and beneficial for health. It has a sweet and sour taste with a light fragrance, and you should drink apricot wine with a few ice cubes after meals or before eating, both of which are good for digestion.
2. Umeshu Plum Wine (Recipe shared by users)
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
40 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Umeshu Plum Wine (Recipe shared by users) Serves 6 people
Japanese plums 5 kg Good quality sticky rice wine 10 liters Honey 600 ml Rock sugar 2.5 kg Salt A little
Tools needed
Ingredient Image
How to make Umeshu Plum Wine (Recipe shared by users)
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Prepare the plums
After purchasing the plums, wash them with clean water and soak them in diluted saltwater for about 15 – 20 minutes. Then, use a toothpick or sharp object to remove the plum stems, rinse with clean water, and let them drain completely.
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Infused Plum Wine
First, you layer a layer of plums followed by a layer of rock sugar into an glass jar or a ceramic jar will also work.
Continue until you run out of plums and rock sugar, then pour 600ml of honey into the jar, and afterwards continue pouring 10 liters of glutinous rice wine in.
Finally, you just need to store the jar of wine in a cool place, after about 5 months you can enjoy it.
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Final Product
The Umeshu plum wine after being infused has a slightly pale yellow color and a light fragrance. The wine has a sweet and sour taste that is very easy to drink.
How to choose delicious fresh apricots
- If possible, you should choose apricots grown in the Northwestern mountainous region as they will have a more delicious flavor compared to other regions. Additionally, you should select apricots with a rough skin, evenly covered with fuzz on the surface, and not too shiny. At the same time, the fruit should be medium-sized (not too large), appear very firm, not easily bruised, and absolutely have no vinegary smell.
- Depending on your preference, you can choose apricots of different colors, as ripe yellow apricots will be sweet, while green apricots will have a slightly sour taste or a more neutral flavor.
How to choose good quality wine
- You should choose white wine with an alcohol content of 35 – 40 degrees as it will make the apricot wine have a purer flavor. Alternatively, you can choose sake, vodka, etc., as long as the alcohol concentration is above 35 degrees, because if the alcohol content is lower, it will make the fermentation of the apricots difficult.
- Moreover, you should also buy wine from reputable establishments with clear product origins to ensure your health.
How to choose the right sugar
- To make delicious Umeshu apricot wine from Japan, you should use rock sugar because it has a mild sweetness and dissolves slowly, helping the sweet substances from the apricots to be released steadily to balance the flavor.
- In addition, you can also choose granulated sugar, but the flavor of the apricot wine will not be as delicious as with rock sugar due to its stronger odor.
Tips for successfully making Umeshu apricot wine from Japan
- It is recommended to prioritize using rock sugar instead of granulated sugar to achieve the best flavor, avoiding the overpowering smell and sharp sweetness of granulated sugar.
- Clean and rinse the infusion jar thoroughly before soaking the apricots to prevent floating scum.
- You can adjust the ratio of ingredients for making apricot wine according to your taste, such as the best ratio for delicious wine according to Japanese standards: 1kg apricots + 1.8l wine + 0.8kg sugar.
- The apricot wine can be used after soaking for 3 months, but it is best from 8 to 12 months.
- You can strain out the apricot pulp to keep the apricot wine for longer, with a duration of up to 28 months.
How to handle floating scum when infusing wine
When making Umeshu apricot wine from Japan, you may encounter floating scum appearing on the surface of the wine. The cause may be:
Thus, TasteVN has finished guiding you on 2 how to make Umeshu Japanese plum wine simply and deliciously! Wish you success in your implementation!
