Homemade Green Plum Liqueur with Rock Sugar

What you need

• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) green ume, unripe, firm, with no bruises
• 250 g (9 oz) rock sugar, clear crystals; they dissolve slowly
• 900 ml (3 3/4 cups) shochu, 35% abv; vodka at 35-40% also works

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Wash a 2 l (2 qt) glass jar with an airtight lid in hot soapy water. Rinse and dry completely.

2. 2

   Dampen a paper towel with a splash of shochu and wipe the inside of the jar and the lid.

3. 3

   Rinse the ume and soak in plenty of cool water for 2 hours to draw out bitterness.

4. 4

   Drain the ume. Dry each ume well with a clean towel, since leftover moisture invites mold.

5. 5

   Pick out the small stem tip of each ume with a bamboo skewer. Do not pierce the skin. Set aside any bruised ume.

6. 6

   Layer the ume and rock sugar in the jar, alternating, and finish with a layer of sugar.

7. 7

   Pour in the shochu until the ume are fully covered. Close the lid.

8. 8

   Store the jar in a cool, dark place. Swirl gently every few days for the first month, until the sugar has dissolved.

9. 9

   Leave for at least 6 months. After a year, lift out the ume if you like. The flavor keeps deepening for 1-2 years.

10. 10

    Serve over ice, or mix with cold or hot water, in small glasses.

Imported from cookingwithdog.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.