As a result of our recent food shenanigans into the making of homemade Huamei Preserved Plums 話梅, we were left with an extra mound of the little green plums 青梅 that inspired it all. These are immature plums, plucked from the Chinese Plum Tree, also known as the Prunus Mume Tree, in their green and seriously sour stage.
With this extra mound of green plums we decided to make our first ever plum wine! Well, not really a wine, more like a fruit liqueur of sorts. Based loosely on both the Chinese and Japanese style of making plum wine, this fruity concoction is super easy to make, requires a rather long waiting time, and results in a lusciously fruity and smooth wine/liqueur that captures the essence of spring and summer all in one!
First, let's take a look at the Chinese Plum Tree 梅 where from these green plums come. To my surprise it is same plum blossom tree, its delicate blossoms flowering in the cold of winter, that appears in Chinese paintings and poetry! Known as one of the 'Three Friends of Winter' 歲寒三友 and symbolizing endurance, this plum tree has inspired countless artists over the ages with its beauty, grace and perseverance against the odds.
So it turns out that our wee green plums connected us over the centuries to all the folks, artists, poets or just ordinary people that had admired the beautiful blossoms of the plum tree against the soft white drifts of late winter snow! Pretty darn cool, amirite?
We first discovered these green, unripe plums known as 青竹梅 or just 青梅 on one of our wanders through the many wet markets that abound in Hong Kong. The nice fruit stall lady revealed that these plums were used by the Chinese to make plum wine. Being naturally alcoholic by nature, lol, we quickly scooped up a big bagful to take home, determined to attempt to make some plum wine for ourselves!
Look for these seasonal plums at small markets or wet markets in your area. The season is from late March thru May. You won't find these at the supermarkets in HK. If you're overseas the best bet to find them would be at the asian grocers that stock fresh asian fruits.
The plum wine is actually super duper easy to make. Washed and dried plums are packed into a large sterilised glass jar, one layer at a time. Be sure to only use plums that aren't bruised.
The plums are then layered with rock sugar, called 冰糖 or 'ice sugar' in Chinese. Look for the yellow tinted kind of rock sugar, the more yellow the better. Yellower means less processed and thus better flavor.
Here you can see we have added a layer of rock sugar over the bottom layer of green plums. Then another layer of green plums has been added on top of the rock sugar.
Keep going, alternating green plums with the rock sugar until all the plums are used up. Lastly pack a layer of rock sugar over it all.
Now it's time to submerge it all with spirits! We decided to use two kinds of spirits. First a bottle of Japanese shochu*, which uses Koji** fermentation to distill rice, barley or sweet potatoes into a spirit that contains an alcohol percentage of around 25%-35% and a tasty flavor that varies according to the ingredients used.
We paired the shochu with vodka which is distilled from fermented cereal grains and potatoes and has an alcoholic percentage of 40%. Vodka is fantastic to use to make homemade liquors because it has a clear color and a neutral taste. (Check out our Italian Lemon Liqueur Limoncello recipe for example.) For this wine we bought the cheapest vodka we could find as we figured, rightly, that the shochu and the green plums were going to provide all the needed flavors.
Check that the average of the spirits mix that you end up using averages out to at least 35% alcohol content! That amount of alcohol will suffice to keep your future plum wine well preserved.
*Note: If you can't find shochu you can just substitute with vodka.
**Note: Koji is a type of mold known as aspergillus oryzae that is used to ferment many staples of Japanese cuisine such as soy sauce, sake, miso, etc.
With our mix of spirits we filled our glass jar of green plums and rock sugar up until all was completely covered and then some.
And that's it! Can you believe, dear readers, that it can be so easy as this? Screw on the jar's lid and it's time to wait. This may be the only pickle in this easy peasy to make wine, that the wait should be so long. Six months. That's right, a half year of time. But trust me it's TOTALLY worth the wait!
A helpful tip is to stick a label on top of your jar before you tuck it away in a dark quiet corner. Write the date six months from now so that you won't forget when you can have your plum wine tasting party!
Scroll ahead to six months...ooooo...lookee at the gleaming golden color of our homemade plum wine! The sugar has, through osmosis, slowly but surely drawn out the juices of the plums as it melted down, flavoring the shochu/vodka spirit mix while softening and preserving the plums. The intense sour of the green plums has been perfectly balanced by the sugar. The strong raw spirits preserve the fruit while mellowing out in flavor thru the gentle yet pervasive infusion of the fruit juice/sugar mixture.
The result of your long wait? A most delightful dense yet light and plum wine with an intense heady aroma. Fruity and sweet with a touch of tang, it's perfectly balanced in flavor. Smooth mouthfeel. Chilled or at room temperature, neat or with a splash or two of tonic, it's up to your preference. And don't forget to eat the perfectly preserved plums as well, it's fruity flesh now infused through and through with the plum wine!
Paradoxically, this famed for winter tree brings us the flavors and aromas of spring turning to summer all in one! This Homemade Green Plum Wine 自制青梅酒 is truly a most unique, yummilicious drink! Please enjoy, dear readers!
Homemade Green Plum Wine
自制青梅酒
(make 1 jar) Prep time: 5 mins Infusing time: 6 months
Ingredients:
- large glass jar
- 2 1/2 lb green plums 青竹梅, 1080g
- 1 3/4 lb rock sugar 冰糖 , 775g
- 3 cups shochu, 700ml (25%-35% proof)
- 6 cups vodka, 1400ml (40% proof)
Directions:
Prepare the plums: Wash the plums. Remove the stems. Discard any bruised plums. Let the plums air dry completely.
Layer the plums and sugar: Sterilize the glass jar. Add one layer of plums to the bottom of the jar. Top with one layer of rock sugar. Repeat until all the plums are added to the jar. Add one more layer of rock sugar to top it off.
Add the spirits: Add the shochu into the jar. Add the vodka. Place lid on the jar.
Wait for the infusion/osmosis: Place the lidded jar in a dark area. Wait for a minimum of 6 months. After 6 months the wine is ready to serve. Enjoy!
Serve the wine: Serve the wine neat in small glasses with a plum in each glass, either at room temperature, chilled, or with a cube of ice. Or else serve in larger glasses with a plum in each glass and a splash or two of tonic and a few ice cubes.
Store the wine: Keeps for several years in its jar in a dark place. The flavor will develop as time passes. Be sure to use completely dry and clean utensils to scoop out wine and plums.
Fruitiful Fancies at The Hong Kong Cookery:
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