Maesil Cheong (Green Plum Syrup)
Korean Maesil Chung is a fermented syrup made from Green Apricot Plums and sugar. It adds great flavor to marinades, salads and just about any Korean dish that needs sweetness. Fresh green plums (aka Japanese green plums) are available only for a short time in the spring so don't miss it!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- No separate cook time
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 lbs Green Plums
- 2 lbs sugar ((white or organic unbleached)~ 2.4 lbs sugar)
- 1 glass jar or breathable earthen ware ((항아리 Haangari) large enough to hold both sugar and plums)
Instructions
- 1
Wash plums and drain. Let plums completely dry.
- 2
Remove any stems including the little stub near the stem. Removing the stub is not a must but if you don’t, stubs will later float around in the syrup and you will have to strain it to get rid of it.
- 3
Discard any plums that are rotten because these can spoil the syrup.
- 4
Sanitize the glass jar by rinsing it with boiling water or alcohol.
- 5
Layer sugar and plums alternately in the jar. This means you need to divide the sugar and the plums equally so that you don’t run out of sugar at the end. If you layer the sugar so that it just about covers the layer of plums, it should work out OK.
- 6
Cover the jar and leave it in a cool place for 90 days.
- 7
After 90 days, remove the plums with the seeds and store the syrup for use. Can be stored at room temperature for many months, even a year or more.