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Umeshu, the delicious Japanese plum wine, is becoming immensely popular globally. It has a very refreshing fruity aroma and a unique sweet-to-sour taste, making it a beverage to relish. One of the best things about umeshu is that one can easily make it at home with just three simple ingredients – ume plums, sugar, and some white alcohol, and then set it aside to age for about six months.
They say the best products begin with the best ingredients. To make delicious umeshu, the first step would be to pick the best plums for the wine. How do we pick the right plums for making umeshu? Here are some suggestions to help you make the right choice.
Say no to scratches
Plums with scratches are sure to ruin your umeshu. It is something we do not want. If plums with scratches are used in making umeshu, it would give you a plum wine that does not have the typical delicious flavor. It also ruins the appearance of the umeshu, making it muddy-looking and unappealing. The perfect plums for making umeshu will have no scratches on their surface and are full of pulp and juice.
Look for large, juicy, unripe ume plums
Traditionally, umeshu is made with large, juicy, unripe ume plums. Sometimes, ripe ume plums are also used but that could alter the flavor of the umeshu to a large extent, making it mellow. Moreover, the ripe plums would crumble with time during aging, so the umeshu may not look as appealing as it would when raw plums are used. So, look for large, hard, pulpy, juicy, unripe ume plums to make your umeshu.
Alternatives to ume plums
If you are unable to find the perfect unripe ume plums but would still like to make delicious umeshu at home, you can choose other types of plums that you get in the market. Just make sure they are unripe, fresh, juicy, and do not have any scratches on the surface. When choosing unripe plums, do make sure they are not too unripe, making it bitter or premature, so picking the plums at the right stage is very important.
Using these tips, now you can pick the right plums to make umeshu at home. The process is quite simple, and the ingredients are easily available, so you can get going with making umeshu. Done right, in about six months, voila, you should have delicious, refreshing umeshu all ready to serve and drink.
