January 6, 2010

Ponzu, Part 3(ポン酢、パート3)

From ten natsumikan, I was able to get more than 1 liter of juice. Initially, I was planning to use 500 ml of juice to make 1 liter of ponzu, and then I found that the capacity of the glass bottle I was planning to use was only 900 ml, so I decided to use 400 ml of it.
Thus, in the glass bottle, I combined:
400 ml natsumikan juice
400 ml soy sauce
100 ml mirin, microwaved for about 1 min. to evaporate alcohol
(Thus, citrus juice, soy sauce, and mirin ratio of 5:5:approx. 1)
40 g katsuobushi (dried bonito shavings)
10 x 5 cm kombu
(The more katsuobushi and kombu, the better!)
夏みかん10個から果汁が1リットル以上取れました。最初は果汁を500 ml使って、1リットルのポン酢を作ろうと思っていたのですが、それから使おうと思っていたガラス瓶の容量が900 mlだと分かったので、果汁を400 mlだけ使うことにしました。
と言うわけで、ガラス瓶に、次のものを混ぜました。
夏みかん果汁400 ml
醤油400 ml
味醂(みりん)100 ml(アルコールを飛ばすため約1分電子レンジで加熱)
(従って、柑橘果汁、醤油、みりんの割合は5:5:約1)
鰹節(かつおぶし)40 g
昆布10 x 5 cm
(鰹節と昆布は多ければ多いほど、いいです!)


Don't get the impression from the photo above that I am affiliated with Kikkoman. I simply wanted to suggest using Japanese soy sauce. Note that the mirin in the photo is not hon mirin (real mirin) but mirin-like seasoning called "jozo chomiryo".
写真を見て、私がキッコーマンと関係があると思わないで下さい。ただ日本の醤油を使うよう言いたかっただけです。また、写真の味醂は本味醂ではなく、醸造調味料と言う味醂風の調味料です。
The rest of the natsumikan juice was consumed by my two children and wife. The juice was so sour that I added two teaspoons of sugar to my children's glasses, but my wife is capable of drinking it with no sweetener!
残りの夏みかん果汁は二人の子供と妻が飲みました。とても酸っぱいので、子供たちには砂糖を小さじ2杯足しましたが、妻は甘味料なしでも平気で飲めます!
This post will be updated in a day or two.
この投稿は一両日中に更新します。

4 comments:

Yangsze said...

I love ponzu sauce and that looks delicious! Usually I make my own (probably like your "instant" ponzu sauce) with dashi, shoyu, and lemon juice. It tastes good, but I'm curious about the taste difference from the "real" ponzu sauce you made -- was it more delicate/aromatic? Happy new year!

Hiroyuki said...

YSC: Happy new year! They say it will turn mellower (and less sharp). Some people let theirs stand for months before starting to use.
By the way, do you know what day it is today? Day we are supposed to have nanakusa gayu (7-herb congee)!
P.S. Instant ponzu will also turn mellower if it is let stand, don't you think so?

Yangsze said...

Yes, I also notice that it is not so sharp if you let it stand (although I rather like the sourness!). I was wondering however, whether it was ok to let the ponzu sauce sit for so long in the fridge without pasteurization? Because what I use is fresh lemon or lime juice, unfiltered and raw, so I was afraid it might go bad. Usually I make very small batches and used them within 4-5 days.

We can also get Meyer lemons here in California, which are milder than regular lemons. I've thought about making ponzu sauce from them. In general, I find even my "quick" home made ponzu is better than the bottled kind from the supermarket. I can only imagine that yours, made the traditional way, is even better!

Hiroyuki said...

YSC: I hope I can answer the question about the "expiration date" of home-made ponzu in months from now! I may use it up by that time, though. None of the recipes I referred to talked about how long it will keep in the fridge.
Do make ponzu from Meyer lemons and report back!