The "rainy season" for most of Japan starts in mid-June - the national weather service makes a formal pronouncement on television. The word for this season is "tsuyu" (梅雨), which includes the character for "plum", because the coming rain helps the plums mature.
That said, immature/unripened plums can be found for a limited period in groceries. Many Japanese are compelled to snap them up in order to make the homemade liqueur called ume-shu (梅酒). The process is simple, and requires just three ingredients - the trick is to wait at least 3 months (longer is better) for the magical transformation!
Rinse the plums and remove any stem fragments. For each kilogram of plums, add 600-800 grams of rock sugar in alternating layers, topped with 1.8 liters of clear distilled liquor (at least 35% alcohol) to a large jar. In the US we've used a couple of different vodkas. Store in a dark, cool place, and gently shake the jar, occasionally, to distribute the ingredients as the mixture develops.
Many households have one or more jars of these homemade infusions under the kitchen sink - along with maybe miso or fermented vegetables. It's not uncommon for families to pass down the tradition from one generation to the next.
The same process can be used with almost any fruit or herb. Perenially, we have an abundance of green shiso - so in early fall, we gather the remaining leaves, add lemon, honey and organic vodka, and wait, patiently. We'll talk more about other uses for shiso in a future post.
