Our Family's Umeshu

• 1 1/2 kg Green ume plums
• 1800 ml Clear distilled alcohol (35% alcohol "white liquor") or vodka, etc.
• 600 grams Crystal rock sugar

1. Wash the jar you'll be using to make the umeshu, and sterilize it in boiling water (dry it well afterwards) or sterilize with alcohol.
2. Choose green ume plums, and throw out any that are blemished.
3. Wash them well (gently so that you don't damage) and drain into a colander.
4. Take the stem ends off carefully.
5. After removing the stem ends, wipe each ume fruit gently with paper towels.
6. Make several holes in the surface of the ume plums with a bamboo skewer so that the skins won't get wrinkled.
7. Put the ume plums, crystal rock sugar, distilled alcohol in the jar in that order.
8. Put the lid on and you're done Shake it occasionally and wait for at least 3 months.
9. I used this food grade alcohol spray this time.
10. From left to right: 2 year old umeshu; 1 year old umeshu; and this year's batch The matured umeshu has turned an amber color.
11. Since the ume plum surfaces are piereced, even after 2 years they are almost wrinkle free You can eat the plums in the liquor even after 2 years of course.
12. I leave the ume plums in the liquor for about 3 years.
13. After that I turn it into jam.

clear

Taken from cookpad.com/us/recipes/155683-our-familys-umeshu (may not work)