Ume (Japanese plums)
How to Make Ume SyrupJust Green Ume and Rock Sugar
Ume syrup is the easiest ume preserve: green ume and rock sugar in a jar, and time does the rest. The sugar draws out the juice of the ume, and in about two weeks you have a sweet-tart, fragrant syrup.
Mix it with sparkling water for an ume soda, or pour it over tofu pudding or shaved ice. A refreshing taste of early summer, perfect for getting through Japan’s hot summers.
| When to make | June (green ume) |
| Time | About 2 weeks |
| Storage | Cool, dark place. Refrigerate after opening. Take out the ume after about a month |
Ingredients and tools
Use hard green ume, before they ripen, and the same weight of rock sugar.
This time we made a small batch with 200 g (7 oz) of green ume. The jar is Muji’s 750 ml soda glass sealed jar.
- 200 g (7 oz) green ume
- 200 g (7 oz) rock sugar
- A storage jar
- A bamboo skewer
- Paper towels
- A colander or tray
Rock sugar (kori-zato) is large crystals of sugar that dissolve slowly, which lets the ume juice out gradually. Outside Japan, look for it at Asian grocery stores.
Fresh ume are hard to find outside Japan. See finding ume outside Japan on the overview page.
Calculate the amounts
Using less sugar makes the syrup more likely to ferment or spoil.
How to make ume syrup
Wash the green ume
Put the ume in a bowl and gently wash off dust and dirt in plenty of water. Drain and put them in a colander or on a tray.
Dry the ume
Carefully wipe each ume dry with a paper towel.
Remove the stem ends
Pick out the little stem ends with a bamboo skewer. Be gentle so the tip of the skewer doesn’t damage the fruit.
If you have time, let them air-dry further in the shade. (If you wiped them thoroughly, you can skip this.)
Sterilize the jar
Sterilize the jar in boiling water. (Remove rubber seals and metal clips first.) Be careful not to burn yourself.
Put the jar in a large pot with enough water to cover it and heat. When it boils, keep it at a gentle boil for 10 minutes.
Stand the jar upside down on a clean cloth and let it dry completely.
Layer the ume and rock sugar in the jar
Fill the jar with ume and rock sugar, alternating in 3–4 layers, ume first, then sugar.
Pack it all in, and the ume syrup is set.
Storage
Keep the jar in a cool, dark place out of the sun.
Day 1
The next day. The rock sugar has started to melt, and the ume look like they’re sweating.
From the day after you make it until the syrup has risen, gently swirl the jar 2–3 times a day so the ume and sugar mix.
Day 2
Day 2. The sugar has coated every ume, and they’ve turned yellow-green.
Day 3
Day 3. The sugar is dissolving, and there’s enough syrup to cover about half the ume.
Two weeks: done
After two weeks, the ume syrup is done. The rock sugar has all dissolved, and the ume have shrunk and wrinkled.
Refrigerate after opening. After about a month, take the ume out of the jar.
To drink it, mix the syrup with sparkling water, milk or other drinks. One part syrup to four parts liquid is about right.
The sweet aroma of ume and its fresh tartness are perfect for early summer.
Ume soda
Ume soda (serves 1)
- Ingredients: 2 tbsp ume syrup, 120 ml (½ cup) sparkling water, ice to taste.
- Method: Put the syrup and ice in a glass and pour in the sparkling water. Add a sprig of mint for a finishing touch.
For variations, see the recipes below.
» Ume syrup with honey and lemon
The ume left over from the syrup can be made into jam.
