Comments on My Epikorean - A Korean Recipe Journal: Korean Green Plum Liquor, Maesil Ju (매실주)

Hi emilybug,Homemade maesil ju, plum wine, is very...

2008-08-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hi emilybug,

Homemade maesil ju, plum wine, is very different than the store bought variety. The store brought variety typically has a higher alcohol content and is often made by steeping the plum directly into a clear spirit, rather than allowing the alcohol to develop through the natural fermentation process. Homemade plum wine is also very different from traditional red or white wines in that sugar (or honey, in my case) assists the natural fermentation process. Japanese apricots, maesils, are lower in sugar than fruits such as grapes, so the addition of sugar is necessary. Red wine sometimes has sugar added as well if the brix, or measure of natural sweetness, of the grapes is too low—in addition to the typical additives of yeast, sulphites, etc.. I’m telling you all this because without the yeast and other additives, liquors and wines that you make at home have a lower alcohol content.

My boyfriend's mother informed me that her mother made wine in the same fashion that I made maesil ju. I’m assuming that wine made from grapes without yeast would more closely resemble a light, sweet dessert liquor than red table wine. I’m not sure if this same wine-making technique would work with peaches unless they are very tart, strongly flavored and not mildly sweet and mealy. I hope at least some of the information I gave you helps! I’m a strong advocate of experimenting, but I think whether your peach wine works or not really depends on what sort of peaches you have!

Cathy

I was wondering if you have any idea why this work...

2008-08-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

I was wondering if you have any idea why this works without enzymes, pectin, sulfur, camphor, etc like regular wine. I wanted to make peach wine, but didn't want to have to hunt down a whole bunch of additives. Do you think it would work to use the plum wine recipe?

Thanks, Emily
P.S. My plum wine should be done at the end of the month!

Hmmn, interesting.

2008-08-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hmmn, interesting.

Hi, Manuka or Leptospermum honey in its pure, raw ...

2008-08-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Manuka or Leptospermum honey in its pure, raw state should work just as well, but I think the flavor of the manuka honey may overpower the plums. I like aloe bee honey because it's a bit more subtle and smooth in flavor and consistency, but I think Manuko honey would work as well. The most important thing is that the honey is raw and not processed.

Hope that helps,

Cathy

Hi, the plums are almost at that stage in England ...

2008-07-31T01:43:00.000-07:00

Hi, the plums are almost at that stage in England now. i cant wait to pick the green ones in my orchard for this recipe! You recommend the use of white aloe bee honey. would manuka honey, with its anti bacterial properties be a good substitute?

Thank you maryeats! I've been a bit busy lately, b...

2008-07-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you maryeats! I've been a bit busy lately, but I'll be posting again soon!

Hi,I just wanted to say that your site is beautifu...

2008-07-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I just wanted to say that your site is beautiful, especially the photos! This recipe post is so original. I can't wait to try it.

Hi emilybug,Actually, your plums don't sound like ...

2008-06-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

Hi emilybug,

Actually, your plums don't sound like the Middle Eastern plums I used. The Middle Eastern green plums are tart, hard and crunchy. But your plums seem similar to the furry-skinned Japanese plums, ume. Are your plums tart or sweet to taste? Considering the softness and pulpy quality of their flesh, I believe they would work just fine in wine, especially if they are more tart than sweet. Thanks for the link to grapestomper, I will definitely check it out.

Good luck with the jam and perhaps try making the wine?

Cathy

Thanks for saving me the experiment. The smooth sk...

2008-06-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks for saving me the experiment. The smooth skinned plums have rather tough skin...even when they get beyond ripe, they appear firm as long as you are gentle, but if you pierce the skin you could suck the flesh out with a straw. I'm guessing that you leave the plums whole so that you don't end up with pulpiness floating in your wine...but, if your experiment is a wash anyway, maybe you could try poking the plums with a fork. I found some other recipes http://www.grapestomper.com/recplum.html that say to smash the fruit- very different process. Might be worth a try to save your experiment.

My mom and I will be making some jam or jelly...there are just way too many plums :)

Thanks again for your help,
Emily

PPS May I also suggest making those green plums in...

2008-06-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

PPS
May I also suggest making those green plums into a jam? I think those tart plums would be lovely with a bit of honey and gelatin or agar agar.

Dear Emily,If the skin on your plums are smooth, I...

2008-06-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Emily,

If the skin on your plums are smooth, I am not so sure it will work! My experimental batch of plum wine made with smooth-skin green plums (the kind Middle Easterners bite into raw with a little bit of salt and not the furry Japanese variety called ume, which are actually closer to apricots and not plums) did not turn out very well. It's been one month, and whereas the wine I made with the Japanese plums progressed very quickly to the right color, flavor and consistency, the experimental batch is still in a sugary and rather unpleasant state. The plums shriveled, so they look like old apples, but not a drop of their tartness seeped into the sugar surrounding them. If you are looking for something to do with those green plums that looks aesthetic, I say you're better off infusing them in vodka, sake, or soju. A clear, thin liquor will preserve the plums' beauty and flavor. With the Japanese ume wine, the green plums/apricots/ume also end up becoming shriveled, though the skin is not as crinkly and dry-looking as the green smooth-skinned Middle Eastern plums because ume is more fleshy and has less water content. If you want less wrinkled ume, you must remove the shriveled ume, add a few fresh ume for looks, and wait about a week.

Hope this helps,

Cathy
PS Blend the shriveled ume with kochujang, fermented red hot pepper paste, and it will taste marvelous!

Hi,I have a green plum tree in my front yard and w...

2008-06-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I have a green plum tree in my front yard and was looking for ideas on what to do with all the fruit, thanks for your recipe! My plums have smooth skin, does this mean it will take longer than 2 months to ferment, how can you tell it is ready? And how long can you store the wine? Any idea if it could be sealed and stored like regular wine? And, if you put whole plums in the bottom to look pretty (or to eat) do they become shriveled?

I have never tasted any before, but I am pretty excited to try it out.

Thanks, Emily

Hi again Andra, :)the spirits, and in particular, ...

2008-05-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

Hi again Andra, :)
the spirits, and in particular, the plum wines you find at Korean restaurants are good but subpar when compared to the homemade version. Maesil ju is wonderfully full of flavor and deliciously tart, but the restaurant version is watered down and not as zingy. If you do try maesil ju at a restaurant or buy it at a market, I recommend Seoljungmae. This brand has been around longer than most others, and it even has a few plums sitting on the bottom, just waiting to be eaten. :) I will definitely have a few reviews of different kochujangs (red sauces). Some are more salty than others. And thank you for reading and commenting (and complimenting ;))!

Cathy :)

Hi there! It is andra again. Just wanted to chec...

2008-05-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hi there! It is andra again. Just wanted to check in and say hello! This recipe looks lovely; I have never tasted any Korean or Japanese spirits before. Maybe I should try one the next time I go out to eat at a Korean restaurant. Thank you for your comment on my comment; it would be helpful to have a glossary like you are describing and/or guidance for ingredients (you are doing this already). For example, the red sauce used for bibimbap; when you go to a Korean grocery store, it can be very confusing to find the right kind of sauce, especially if you cannot read Korean (like me). So, any handholding would be appreciated.

Love your blog!

andra

Your pictures really are lovely! My grandmother u...

2008-05-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

Your pictures really are lovely! My grandmother used to make umeboshi out of the crunchy green apricots, I am drooling thinking about it... Thanks for the great memories!

what a fantastic site! as a KA, i'm always searchi...

2008-05-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

what a fantastic site! as a KA, i'm always searching for great korean recipe sites in ENGLISH. thank you for all the wonderful recipes & the mouthwatering photos!