Step 1

Soak the ume in a baking soda and water solution for 15 minutes. You need a 1% solution (so 2 teaspoons of baking soda for 1 quart- 946 ml- of water.) (This is to remove pesticides.)

Step 2

After 15 minutes, rinse the fruit well then soak in clean water for another 1h45 minutes. Rinse and dry the fruits very well at the end.

Step 3

Remove the stems, if any.

Step 4

Place the sugar and DRY plums in the glass jar in alternate layers so that all the plums are surrounded by the sugar. (If not using rock sugar, you may need to shake the jar from time to time.)

Step 5

Pour the alcohol into the jar and seal it, airtight.

Step 6

Store somewhere cool and dark for a minimum of 6 months (Some say plum wine gets bitter if the fruits are left in it for over 1 year so try at your own risk! Without the fruit, plum wine can last indefinitely if stored properly. The taste will change over time, so it's interesting to compare and contrast. I have 2 different ones- 1 made with unripe plums and 1 with ripe ones- in my pantry as I type.)

Step 7

After straining out your maesil-cheong, or plum syrup, store the liquid in the fridge. Leave the plums in the original glass jar then pour the alcohol over, making sure all the plums are covered.

Step 8

Close the jar tightly and leave in a cool and dark place for at least 3 months. (You can leave it for up to a year if you wish.)

Step 9

When you feel the alcohol is ready, serve hot, cold or mixed with soda water and other alcohols in a cocktail (See the post for suggestions.) It's a nice touch to include 1 or 2 plums in each cup.

Step 10

As mentioned above, you can have Asian plum wine hot, at room temperature or chilled. If you want variety, mix it with yoghurt, milk. soda water etc.