Making Japanese Pickled Plums (Umeboshi)

Total Time: 6 months pickling time

Source: My mother's recipe

Ingredients:

• 5 lb ume plums
• 1 lb sea salt
• large glass pickling jar

Steps:

1. Remove all the stems from the ume plums. Use a bamboo stick or toothpick to help. Try to avoid metal or else it will scar the plums. Thoroughly wash and dry them.
2. Place the ume plums in your pickling jar while sprinkling the salt intermittently. I do three layers ume, and three layers salt.

 
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3. Place the jar in a cool shady area in your house. You will notice that the juice from the plums will start coming out and filling up your jar. Every few days, pick it up and swirl it around. When you realize the juice has reached the top of the jar, you can just let it sit and endure the rest of the 6 month total pickling time.
   
   And you have your homemade Umeboshi. Enjoy!

If you want your Umeboshi to have the traditional red colour, when the juice reaches the top of the jar, add your shiso leaves.