When is ume

About About NichiBei. Ripe ume. Photo by Pauline Fujita. Wordpress Hashcash needs javascript to work, but your browser has javascript disabled. Your comment will be queued in Akismet! Public Service Announcement video. Farewell to Manzanar Cast Reunion.

More info visit: Digital. Nichi Bei Mailing List Join our mailing list. Return to top of page. I recommend this kind of container.

This is the closest I found to the ones we use in Japan. You might be wondering why I freeze the ume, well there are two main reasons why I highly recommend it! Note: You should only freeze ume if you're making ume syrup or ume jam, this method doesn't work for umeshu or umeboshi.

Okay, maybe a recipe that takes a week isn't that fast By freezing the plums, you knock 2 weeks off the time meaning you can enjoy your syrup sooner. Why is it faster, you ask? When the plums are frozen, the water inside expands and turns to ice. This destroys the structure so when it's defrosted it becomes mushy. The juices leak out onto the sugar and turns into syrup very quickly. On the note of mushy plums, I must warn you not to defrost them before making your syrup.

Allow them to defrost in the jar with the sugar. When I made ume syrup with fresh plums, one batch failed because mold started to grow on the plums after 2 weeks.

The other batch was okay, but it had a slight fermented taste and was a bit fizzy like soda. When I tried the frozen method, my syrup was clear, smooth and had a refreshing taste. I couldn't believe that this method was quicker and tasted better!

Ume syrup is something Japanese people make during the rainy season to enjoy during the summer, but the great thing about freezing your ume, is there's no rush! If you're busy, you can keep them in the freezer for up to 6 months before you use them. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before handling the plums. Wash the ume with warm running water.

If you leave the stems in, your syrup could become bitter. Drying the plums helps preserve them better, I use a clean towel but you can also use paper towels. Some people also wipe them over with alcohol as well. Use within 6 months. Do not defrost! Make sure to use a glass jar so that you can clean it with boiling water and allow it to steam.

Plastic will melt and glass is more sturdy. Once it's steamed for a few minutes, empty the water and allow it to air dry. If you're impatient like me, you can use a paper towel. Wipe the inside with alcohol to sterilize it. Line the bottom of the jar with frozen plums, then add a layer of rock sugar over the top. Repeat until the container is full. Once the syrup is ready, it's better to take the ume out, I recommend leaving them in no longer than one month.

TIP: You might find that there are still a few lumps of sugar in the syrup, you can melt them by heating the syrup in a pan on the stove. Make sure to take the ume out before heating. Like cherry trees , plum trees come in many varieties, many of which were cultivated by humans over the centuries. Most plum blossoms have five petals and range in color from white to dark pink. Some varieties with more than five petals yae-ume and weeping branches shidare-ume have also been cultivated.

Unlike cherry blossoms , plum blossoms have a strong, sweet fragrance. Umeboshi The actual ume fruit is more sour than the Western plum or apricot and is usually processed in various ways before eaten. The most popular processed form is the umeboshi , a sour, pickled plum, which is usually enjoyed with cooked rice.

Umeboshi is one of the most typical Japanese flavors. Umeshu, a sweet alcoholic beverage made of plums, is also popular. A plum festival is scheduled to be held from March 1 to 21, It used to be the site of a Tokyo residence of the feudal lords of Mito, the city where Kairakuen see above is located.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the annual plum festival will not be held in It is usually held between early February and early March.

A plum festival is held annually from February 8 to March 8 with various events on weekends and holidays; however, it has been cancelled in due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Setagaya Ume Matsuri is celebrated here on weekends and holidays from early February to early March; however, the festival has been cancelled in due to the coronavirus outbreak.

A special tea ceremony Baikasai is held in the garden on February Kyoto Umenomiya Taisha 15 minute walk from Matsuo Taisha Station on the Hankyu Arashiyama Line Plum blossoms are one of the symbols of Umenomiya Taisha, and the pleasant paid garden at the back of the shrine boasts a plum grove at its western end. There are about plum trees of around 35 different varieties in the garden.