Making Honkaku Umeshu

I’ve never been huge on umeshu because I think of it as syrupy, sweet and sometimes with an “artificial” taste. It is also sweeter than I would have liked my own drinks. My husband on the other end, loves umeshu. For that reason, we stock Choya at home.

My little sister has been making homemade umeshu for a few years now and she insisted that the homemade ones taste a lot better and I should jump on the bandwagon and make some. So last year when I chanced upon green plums (they are in season from May to June) on an online Japanese grocer, Zairyo, I just had to buy some to try my hand at making it.

I tasted it when it was ready for drinking 6 months later and the flavour was light, fruity and made easy drinking. As it was light, it tasted better neat or on the rocks. The color was golden yellow, looked beautiful in a glass. It was not as sweet as the commercially made ones that I’ve had. I’ve recently had it at 12 months old and it has become less sweet and flavours more pronounced and rich. The flavour notes have become closer to what I would have liked to drink for a fruit liquor; tart (makes you salivate), bright fruit flavour, and a nice lingering finish in the mouth. At this point, it was intense enough to have it as a highball, or with any mixer.

By the way, I did some reading into umeshu and it turns out that those in the market labeled as “Umeshu” has additives added to it. Only those labeled as “Honkaku Umeshu” are made from just fruit, sugar and sochu.

Ingredients:
1kg of green plums
1kg of rock sugar
1.8l of Shochu (**25% alcohol content)

Method:

Wash plums in a bowl.

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Clean the plums and remove any stem ends that might still be there with a toothpick. (See below)

Make sure the jar is clean. Use hot water to wash and dry it. You can also use vodka to wipe the jar inside to make sure it’s clean. Layer the plums and rock sugar in the jar and then pour in the shochu.

Keep the jar in a dark and cool place like in a cupboard, store room or pantry. It will be ready to be drunk in 6 months time.

Note:
*I got my jars from Muji. Buy only glass airtight jars.
**You can use up to 35% alcohol content sochu.
*** Try to keep a small batch longer to taste for up to 5 years, trying it every year to figure what you prefer.