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Homemade umeboshi — Japanese pickled plums made with 15% salt, naturally pale pink without red shiso

How to Make Umeboshi (Japanese Pickled Plums)

by Vegin Vegan Vegun!
A traditional homemade umeboshi recipe made with just three ingredients — ripe ume plums, coarse salt, and shochu or ume vinegar.
At 15–18% salt, no refrigerator needed for pickling or storage.
Made without red shiso, for a soft, natural color.
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Prep Time 1 day
Pickling + drying 33 days
Total Time 34 days
Course preserves
Cuisine Japanese

Equipment

  • Large bowl  for washing the ume
  • Plate or colander for drying
  • Large container for pickling
  • Weight a plate works fine
  • Knife
  • Spatula

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g ripe ume plums
  • 90 g coarse salt 18% of ume weight (adjust to 15–18% to taste)
  • 2 tablespoon shochu or vodka, or white ume plum vinegar— use 35% alcohol or higher if using shochu

Instructions
 

Preparing the ume

  • Prep: Wipe down all containers and tools with shochu and let dry completely. This helps prevent mold.
  • Wash: Gently wash the ripe ume in water to remove any surface dirt.
    500 g ripe ume plums
  • Dry: Transfer to a plate or colander and let them dry completely. Patting them dry with a kitchen towel speeds things up.
  • Trim: Cut away any damaged or discolored spots with a knife. Remove the stem ends using a bamboo skewer or the tip of a knife.
    • If your ripe ume are too blemished for making umeboshi, they're still perfect for ripe ume jam or ripe ume nectar syrup.
  • Coat: Place the ume in a large container. Sprinkle the shochu or white ume plum vinegar over them first, then add the salt.
    90 g coarse salt, 2 tbsp shochu
  • Mix: Using a spatula, mix gently but thoroughly until the salt clings to every plum in a damp, even coat.
  • Weight: Place a weight equal to 1–2 times the weight of the ume on top. Store in a cool, dark place. Turn the ume gently once a day until the pickling liquid fully rises.
    • The liquid usually rises within a day — and almost always within three.
  • Wait: Once the liquid has fully risen, reduce the weight by half. Continue pickling until midsummer — ideally late July to early August, when heat and sunlight are at their peak.
    • If your ume are very soft, leave them longer until the skins feel firmer — late August or September works well.
    At least one month of pickling lets the salt work its way through the flesh and the skins to firm up.

Drying the umeboshi

  • Arrange: Pick a run of at least three clear, sunny days. Arrange the ume in a single layer on a rack or net, making sure they don't touch.
    • Choose a spot with good airflow and direct sunlight.
    Pour the remaining liquid — white ume plum vinegar — into a clean jar and set aside.
  • Dry: Bring the ume indoors on the first and second nights.
    On the third night, leave them outside under the eaves to catch the cool night air — this gives the skins a softer, more supple finish.
    • Flip each plum once a day to dry all sides evenly.
    The best time is in the morning, just before bringing them outside — the skins are less likely to stick to the rack and tear.
  • Store: On the morning of day four, transfer the finished umeboshi to a clean container and store at room temperature.
    • Ceramic or glass containers are best.
    They're ready to eat right away, but a month of resting rounds out the saltiness nicely.

Notes

▶ Always use fully ripe ume
Unripe or firm ume won't release enough liquid. Always use fully ripe fruit.
If your ume aren't quite ready, ripen them at home:
  1. Spread them out in a single layer on a plate or colander, leaving space between each plum as much as possible.
  2. Leave in a cool, dark, well-ventilated spot for a few days.
  3. Turn them once a day if you can, so they don't sit in moisture.
Keyword homemade umeboshi, how to make umeboshi, japanese pickled plums