After making Japanese plum wine (umeshu) or plum syrup, you now end up with the used ume plums. What do you do with them?
Let’s Make Ume Plum Compote
We usually make Ume Plum Compote or what we call in Japanese Ume no Kanroni (梅の甘露煮). It’s much easier and quicker to reuse those plums to make compote than to make Plum Jam. I use this plum compote as a garnish to my plum recipes. All you need is the used ume plums (from making plum wine or plum syrup) and sugar!
4 Tips to Remember
Don’t be shy on sugar – Ume plums are tangy so you’ll need to add sugar to make it edible, and sugar is important for preserving.Handle the plums gently – As the plums have been cooked, their skin is extra tender and break easily. So handle them gently when making the compote.Sterilize and use clean utensils – Make sure to sterilize your jars. When you use the plums/syrup, use clean utensils to scoop up plums and syrup to avoid contamination.Enjoy it soon – Even though sugar/syrup will help preserve the plums, they are good for 2-4 weeks. To keep the compotes longer, you can freeze, in batches, in containers so you can defrost only as much as you need.
How We Can Use Ume Plum Compote
1. Enjoy As It Is
Chilled, sweet, tangy ume is so delicious. On a hot day when you don’t feel much appetite, you will feel refreshed by eating a few of these.
2. Garnish + Flavoring
Make an ume juice with carbonated water.Use as a garnish for Plum Wine, Plum Juice, and Ume Plum Shaved Ice.Addition to yogurt and ice cream (whole or chopped).
3. Enliven Everyday Dishes with Its Fruity Tart Complexity
Make sweets like jelly or kanten.Make a salad dressing or sauce.Braise the pork with the compotes. Pork and ume go well together. Prefer seafood? Simmer the compote and mackerel together.Make miso. Chop ume plums and cook them with miso, sake, mirin, sugar. Use it in 2 weeks.
Wishing to learn more about Japanese ume plums? Don’t forget to check out our pantry page.
Other Ume Plum Recipes
Plum Wine (Umeshu)Ume Plum SyrupPlum Jam
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