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1
Wash the ume plums and take the stem ends off.
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2
Pierce each fruit all over with a needle, and put in a pan.
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3
Use a large pan so that the ume plums don't bump against each other if possible.
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4
In another pan, bring a generous amount of water, enough to cover the ume plums, to a boil.
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5
Pour the boiling water into the pan with the ume plums.
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6
Cover the pan with a blanket or similar to maintain the temperature, and leave for an hour.
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7
After an hour has passed, make another pan ready filled with boiling water.
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8
Scoop up the ume plums very, very carefully and transfer them to the other pan.
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9
Wrap the 2nd pan up in a blanket and leave for an hour.
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10
Repeat this 5 to 6 times.
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11
After the ume plums have been de-bittered, add the sugar to a pan evenly, and pour in 50 ml of boiling water or water that's been boiled and cooled.
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12
Put the ume plums very carefully on top of the bed of sugar.
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13
Heat the pan on the lowest possible heat setting.
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14
Melt the sugar, being careful not to let it burn.
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15
Simmer for about 40 minutes.
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16
The sugar crystals will disappear with time.
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17
When the sugar has completely melted it's done!
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18
Put the ume plums in a storage container with the syrup.
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19
The sugar will have permeated the plums the next day.
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20
Stick 3 needles like this with tape on the end of a disposable chopstick to pierce the plums quickly.
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21
I used a generous amount of sugar so that the ume plums keep longer.
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22
Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste.
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23
If you are using fully ripe yellow ume plums, use water that's about 80C, not quite boiling.
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24
Ripe ume plums aren't very bitter, so you only need to repeat this process twice.
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25
Use 2 pans.
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26
Put the ume plums in one pan so that theres space in between them as shown in the photo.
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27
When the plums have been de-bittered, bring water to a boil in the 2nd pan.
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28
Transfer the ume plums verrry careful with a spoon.
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29
Do not let them bump against each other!
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30
After removing their bitterness, simmer in sugar.
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31
They'll still be quite tart when freshly made.
