Ah, Spring. The flowers, the sun…the allergies. I love spring just as much as the next person, but oh my goodness do I despise allergies. I never…(sorry, just sneezed 5 times in a row and lost my train of thought)…oh yes, I never suffered from any symptoms growing up, but as the years go by I seem to react more and more to the pollen floating invisibly through the air. I’m not so happy about that. I guess there’s always something that has to keep us grounded though, right? Not everything can go our way.
Callie checking out an ume grove with a little help from dad lifting her up.
Fortunately, something has gone my way this spring. Some of you may recall when I posted my homemade umeshu attempt last spring. Well, the long wait is over! And just in time for the ume blossoms (plum blossoms) to burst beautifully, adding splashes of spring color around Tokyo.
Yesterday, we went for a little walk with Callie the dog to a nearby park. The sun was shining warmly and we sat on a bench, eating chicken nuggets from McDonald’s (shhhh…don’t tell anyone!) enjoying some time outdoors.
Then we came home and enjoyed a nice glass of umeshu on the rocks. It turned out to be better than I expected, which was a relief. There is a sweetness that is not too syrupy yet strong enough to counteract the tartness of the green plums. This is something I will have to do again this spring! Double the recipe, of course…
From this:
To this:
With results like that, not even my allergies can get me down.
By the way, in the original post I said I would let my umeshu sit for “1 year, maybe 2…” Well, so much for that! I just couldn’t wait that long and I’m glad I didn’t. The results are just right!
Click here for the recipe I used. And here for a little post about umeshu soda.
