In mid June green unripe ume plums Prunus mume reach peak acidity. They are harvested, washed, soaked in cold water for about 24 hours to remove bitterness, then placed in wooden kegs with alternating layers of sea salt. A flat wooden lid is fitted on top and weighted down with heavy stones. The combination of salt and pressure squeeze the juice out of the plums. The plums naturally ferment for about a month, are removed from their kegs, placed outside and sun dried for about four days. Shiso leaves Perilla frutescens known in English as 'beefsteak leaf,' are added to the pickling liquid turning it deep red. The plums are placed back in the kegs, left in the pickling juice for four to five days, removed from the liquid and placed in kegs where they are aged for one year or more. The remaining red liquid or pickling brine is EDEN Ume Plum Vinegar. The liquid is drained, lightly filtered and bottled in amber glass to preserve nutrients, flavor, and color.

Permission given:
Janelle Morris
Media Manager
Eden Foods, Inc.