June is the month where plums are ready to be harvested and eaten.
From pickles, to syrup and wine, plums are used all around Japan.
Today let’s see how to make plum wine and plum syrup!

Here are the ingredients to make homemade “umeshu”, Japanese plum wine:
- Plums (most used plum are green plums, but I got some yellow one on the picture.)
- Sugar rocks
- white liqueur



For people who can’t drink alcohol, you can replace the liqueur by rice vinegar to make sweet and sour plum syrup.

First, wash the plums and dry them very well with kitchen paper or a clean towel.





Then, remove all the stems with a toothpick.
If you don’t remove the stems, molds will develop and everything will rot.



All the plums have to be in the perfect state, it’s very important to avoid rots as well.
Don’t use plums with bruises. (You can keep them to make jam)

In a sterilized jar, put one layer of plums, then one layer of sugar until you run out.



Then pour white liqueur or vinegar from the top.



Close the jar and put in a dark and fresh place:
- between 1 and 3 months for plum wine
- at least 3 weeks for plum syrup (shake the jar slowly once every day during the first week)

Then you can drink it with your friends during hot summer days!



Plum wine can be drank straight with ice or mixed with water or soda.
Plum syrups have to be mixed with water or soda, don’t forget to put the jar in the fridge once opened!

Have you ever made syrup or fruit wine at home?
Which homemade drinks are popular in your country?