Chinese Salted Plums Food

UMEBOSHI (JAPANESE SOUR SALTED PLUMS) RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place ume in a container and fill with cold water. Soak overnight in a cool spot.
• Discard water and transfer ume to a large wooden, ceramic, or food-grade plastic tub.
• Measure salt over ume. Distribute salt with your hands, making sure not to make cuts on the fruit.
• Place a clean muslin (or food-grade plastic) sheet across the surface of salted ume and drape it down the sides of tub.
• Lay a drop lid on top of the sheet and weight with rocks or similar heavy items equaling weight of ume. (Alternatively, you could line the tub with a thick food-grade plastic bag, squeezing out the air, and cinch it up before laying the drop lid.)
• Store salt-weighted ume in a cool dark spot, but check after 2 or 3 days to make sure the brine has surfaced. If it has not, you should massage any residual bottom salt up to the top fruit. The ume should remain in the brine for several weeks, but check periodically to make sure no mold is forming (if it has, pick the mold off carefully).
• After brining for at least 3 weeks (2 weeks for small ume), dry ume for 3 days in the bright sunlight (they do not have to be consecutive days) on rattan mats (or the equivalent) stretched across a wooden frame for good air circulation. At night, return the ume to the pickling pot.
• On last day of drying, strain brine left over in bottom of salting-tub through a fine-mesh strainer and store in a clean jar or bottle. This is called plum "vinegar" (umesu).
• Pack dried ume (umeboshi) in resealable gallon-sized freezer bags (fill bags only half full). A syrupy liquid will pool at the bottom of the bags which aids in the long-term preservation of umeboshi. Umeboshi keep indefinitely at room temperature packed in airtight resealable bags. This recipe is reprinted with permission from Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen by Nancy Singleton Hachisu , ©2016 Andrews McMeel Publishing. In the book, Hachisu tells not only of the traditional methods of preserving in Japanese culture but of her journey to learn and conquer these traditions as an American-born wife to a Japanese farmer. These umeboshi , salted plums, are a traditional delicacy, often eaten with rice.

PLUM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a blender or food processor, combine pineapple, juice, salted plums, brown sugar, vinegar, preserves, and garlic and process until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan, and add the crushed red chile peppers. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and use as a dipping sauce for Egg Rolls.

CHINESE PLUM SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the plums, sugar, apple cider vinegar, unseasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, Chinese five-spice powder, ginger coins, chile and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the plums are soft, about 20 minutes.
• Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender, filling halfway. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender until smooth.
• Transfer the blended plum mixture back to the same pot and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and you can see the bottom of the pot when you run a rubber spatula across the bottom, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a medium bowl or plate to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

CHINESE PLUM SAUCE

Steps:

• In large heavy saucepan, bring plums, onions, water, ginger and garlic to boil over medium heat; cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until plums and onions are very tender, about 30 minutes.
• Press through food mill or sieve and return to clean pan; stir in sugar, vinegar, coriander, salt, cinnamon, pepper and cloves.
• Bring to boil, stirring; reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture reaches consistency of applesauce, about 45 minutes.
• Fill and seal jars; process in boiling water bath for 30 minutes.
• Makes about 4 cups