June 15, 2016

Ume Syrup and Ume Jam Making: Emergency/梅シロップと梅ジャム作り:緊急事態

Yesterday afternoon, I found tiny bubbles coming out from the ume. Maybe signs of fermentation. Since I had already gotten enough extract from the ume, I decided to separate the syrup from the ume and make ume jam from the ume.
昨日の午後、小さな泡が梅から出てきていることに気づきました。発酵の兆候かも。すでに梅からは十分なエキスが出ているので、シロップを梅を分け、梅から梅ジャムを作ることにしました。


From these four containers, which contained about 2.2 kg ume and 1.0 kg sugar in total,
全体で梅2.2 kg、砂糖1.0 kgが入っていた、この4つの容器から、 
I got 1,390 g ume and 1,450 ml syrup.
梅が1,390 g、シロップが1,450 ml取れました。
Making ume jam:
梅ジャムを作る:
1. Microwave the ume for 3 minutes (or much longer, depending on the amount)
2. Transfer to an enameled pot.
1. 梅を電子レンジで3分(量によっては、もっと長く)加熱する。
2. ホーロー鍋に移す。 
3. Add the desired amount of sugar. I added 220 g (about 16%).
A common ume and sugar ratio for making ume jam is 1:1, but note that these particular ume are already sweetened.
3. 砂糖を好きなだけ入れる。私は220 g(約16%)入れました。
梅ジャムを作る際の、一般的な梅と砂糖の割合は1:1ですが、この梅は既に甘くなっていることに注意してください。 

4. Mash the ume with bamboo spatula over very low heat.
4. ごく弱火で、梅を竹べらで潰します。 
These particular ume were very hard, and I had to add some (100 ml) water and simmer with the lid on for a few minutes. After the ume turned soft, I was able to mash the ume quite easily.
この梅はとても硬くて、水を少し(100 ml)入れ、蓋をして数分間煮る必要がありました。梅が柔らかくなってからは、簡単に潰せました。  
I did the same thing for the ume in the two large 5-liter Tupperware containers (5.0 kg ume and 2.0 kg sugar in total) and the four glass jars (11.6 kg ume and 4.7 kg sugar).
大きな二つの5リットルタッパー容器(全体で梅5.0 kg、砂糖2.0 kg)と4つのガラス瓶(梅11.6 kg、砂糖4.7 kg)に対しても同じことをしました。 
Nine 1,800 ml Tupperware containers!
1,800 mlのタッパー容器が9つ!

I got about 9 liters of syrup from the four glass jars.
4つのガラス瓶からはシロップが約9キロ取れました。
I got more about 3 liters from the two large containers. (I was unable to measure the amount with my kitchen scale.)
2つの大きな容器からは約3リットル取れました(キッチンスケールでは量を測れませんでした)。 
Now I need to store all the jam and all the syrup in some way or other!
さて、どうにかこのジャムとシロップを全部保存しないと!

NOTE: It usually takes 7 to 10 days to get enough extract from the ume and separate the syrup from the ume. I think that these particular ume were riper than usual ao ume and took me much less time to get enough extract. Notice also the color of the syrup. It's pinkish. Ume syrup is usually transparent.
注:梅からエキスを十分出し、シロップと梅を分けるには7~10日かかります。この梅は通常の青梅より熟しているので、エキスが出るのが早かったのだと思います。また、シロップの色にも注意して下さい。ピンクっぽいですが、梅シロップは通常、透明です。 

8 comments:

  1. I just wanted to say 'hi'. I stumbled over your very interesting blog a short while ago and - being an aficionado of Japanese cooking myself - have been reading your posts since then.
    Sadly, there are no fresh ume available here but I appreciate reading of your efforts. Thank you!

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  2. Anonymous:
    I hope you can get some fresh ume some day. Ume play an important role in Japanese cooking, as exemplied by umeboshi, which can be used as seasoning.

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  3. I googled the fruit Ume and found that it is like apricot. Good that now I know another fruit in this world. The Jam must be tasty.

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  4. seeandoh: Well, it's called Japanese plum or apricot, but it's much more sour than you would expect it to be. You will see what I mean if you taste umeboshi (pickled ume).

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  5. Dear Hiroyuki,

    You finished making the syrup! That went pretty quickly, and then you made more jam from the ume. You will have a lot of syrup and jam this year! That is a lot of work, but it will be nice to have all of the delicious jam and syrup to enjoy.

    Best wishes,
    Erin from California

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  6. ErinBear: Yes, incredibly quickly. As I mentioned in the post, it usually takes about 7-10 days to make the syrup. And, I still haven't finished the final step: transferring the syrup to PET bottles in keeping them in the fridge, because of the lack of used PET bottles. Yesterday, I bought one 1.5 liter PET bottle of milk tea and two 2 liter bottles of mineral water not because I wanted what was inside but because I wanted the PET bottles! I still need another 1.5 liter PET bottle and two other 2 liter PET bottls!

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  7. Thank you, I use umeboshi regularily, fortunately they are available here. I don't blog myself so I must post as "anonymous" but my name is Philip.

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  8. Philip:
    Using umeboshi regularily?! Good for you!
    Maybe umeshu can quench your thirst for ume syrup. Umeshu and ume syrup are quite similar.

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