Fun fun fun!! I've always wanted to make liquor. My dad used to make Limoncello which was deadly strong but yummy. I love plum wine and wanted to make it last year but never did. So I jumped at the chance to take a workshop that I saw advertised in the local newsletter.
A coworker, Emily, decided to come with me and we took the train to Nagahama where there is also a yearly exhibition of bonsai plum trees. It was an unseasonably warm day with a beautiful blue sky and since we arrived early we took a little walk.
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| This is the ceiling of the shrine. |
I have to say it really is easier to hold various events in Japan since everyone is used to sitting on the floor. Sometimes there are tables sometimes there aren't but you can make almost anyplace hold many people when you don't need chairs...
We started out with some information about plums, different ways of making the plum wine, different liquors that can be used, etc. And a tasting of 6 different kinds of plum wine. The first one was made with Japanese sake and was my favorite - it also had the lowest alcohol content. The next two were made with shochu, sort of like vodka and can be made of different things (like vodka). They were good too and each of these 3 used different varieties of plums.
The last 3 were made with brandy and we didn't care for them quite as much. Maybe because the brandy adds it's own flavor. One of the samples had ume puree that made it thicker.
As it turned out we were using brandy to make ours. I think it will be good with some sparkling water and ice in the summer.
We were each given a nice jar and a few frozen ume
(plum/apricot - nothing like what we have in the States), and some rock sugar.
Put them in the jar, shake each day for 6 months or so and walaa! Plum wine. Evidently the actually fruit isn't ready (in fresh form) until May or June. Which made sense when I thought about it since the trees don't flower until early March! I think they had the workshop now because of the bonsai exhibition. Across the street was a plum wine tasting event.
So the 'recipe' is equal (by weight) amounts of fruit (washed and dried) and rock sugar and twice as much liquor. Pretty easy. I want to make ume syrup as well when I can buy ume. The recipe for that is similar. Wash and dry the fruit, then poke holes in it with a skewer (no need for that with the liquor) then put in a jar with an equal amount of sugar and shake each day. I'm not sure if that also takes 6 months. I'll have to ask someone. Our wine will be ready to use in refreshing summer drinks.
Our tickets were also good for admission to the flower exhibition.
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| Nagahama is known for glass making and these are samples of glass dolls for the doll festival in March. |
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| A beautiful stained glass window. |
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| The things over the trees help protect them from the snow. The snow slides down and doesn't weigh down and break the branches. I think they're so pretty. |
After a quick stop at the bakery near the station - I can't resist a bakery - we caught a train and a bus and that was my day.
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