hqcreations:Food Preservation: Making Umeboshi (Pickled Plums) with ShisoI’ve been wanting to master
hqcreations:Food Preservation: Making Umeboshi (Pickled Plums) with ShisoI’ve been wanting to master salt-curing skills for the homestead. I had no luck salt-curing olives last year, so this summer I tried my hands with green plums/apricots. Though I over-estimated the quantity of salt, but nonetheless, this was a successful first time experiment. Packed in salt, the hard green golf-balls slowly weeped out its juices and transformed into soft wrinkly pouches of pulp. My homegrown dried red shiso provided that unique herbal aroma and a blush of pink. In fact, I actually wish I was more generous with the shiso to give it a deeper red.After about 2 weeks or so of curing, I finally got an appropriately hot dry day to allow for a period of sun drying. I’m not quite sure why this is done, but I gather it helps to produce an wonderful velvety and toothsome texture to the umeboshi, while concentrating its tangy, salty, and hint of sweetness. (I do want to emphasize, because I am experimenting, I am no expert on the matter and certainly and likely not following all the traditional processes.) Next year, I’ll be less shy about making a big batch of umeboshi, perhaps try with other green fruits. -- source link
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