[Country Life] Our Home's "Sour-Savory" Habit: A Kitchen with Plum Extract | Fukuoka Cut Flower Farmer Tannic Monster

＼You won't be able to stop eating cucumbers, you'll want to keep this in your fridge／

Hello, I'm Tannic Monster from Takase Garden, and I love plum syrup with sparkling water 🦖🌵

Summer is here, isn't it?
Is everyone feeling sluggish? Has your appetite dropped?

When that happens, this is what I want you to eat.
＼Plum Extract／!! (Applause 👏)
It's very popular in the Takase household too.

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What exactly is plum extract!?

It's not pickled plums, and it's not plum syrup,
"Plum extract."

You make it by patiently simmering plums in a pot 🫕

The power of plums, fully unleashed. Sour, rich, and addictive!
And this isn't just any seasoning.

🌞 Summer fatigue
😵 Loss of appetite
🤢 Feeling a bit off in the stomach
🌀 The onset of a cold

Everything can be handled with "plum extract"! (This is my personal opinion)

Today, I'll introduce how to make this plum extract, how to store it, and some simple recipes 💁‍♀️

Plum Extract Recipe

Ingredients:

・Green plums (Plenty! Lots! A mountain of them!)
⚠️ You only get about 80g from 2kg of plums.
Even so, it's really worth making.

※If the plums are pesticide-free, it's safer and the aroma is on a different level!

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How to make:
1. Remove the stems from the green plums, wash them well, and grate them down to the seed.
In the Takase house, we split them with a plum splitter, remove the seeds, and then put them into a manual food chopper.

2. Once grated, squeeze it tightly with gauze or a cloth to get only the juice.
Every time, squeeze the juice out tightly, just like wringing out a rag.
By the way, the leftover plum pulp can be processed into plum jam, etc.

3. Simmer the juice in a pot (low to medium heat).
For 2kg of plums, it takes about 2 hours. Towards the end, please stir it so it doesn't burn.

4. When the moisture is almost gone and it becomes dark and sticky, it's done!
A good sign is when you can draw a line with a spatula and clearly see the bottom of the pot.


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🍽 Endless ways to use it!

🥒 1. Plum Miso → You won't be able to stop eating cucumbers!

Plum extract × Miso (adding a little sugar or mirin is also good)
Just put a little bit on a cucumber, and you'll enter an infinite loop!

You'll think, "Wait, was cucumber always this much of a star?"

It's also perfect for rice balls 🍙 and cold udon noodles!

🥗 2. Plum Dressing → A refreshing salad is born!

Plum extract × Olive oil × Soy sauce or Ponzu
If you add a little honey to this, well,
the "Plum Dressing Queen" is born 👑

It's great on raw summer vegetables, and it's also excellent on oven-roasted vegetables 👍✨

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⏳ Storage Method

Now, this is important.
Since you went to the trouble of making it, you want it to last, right?

🫙 What kind of storage container?

→ A sterilized glass jar is best!
The key is to put it in while it's still warm.
(It hardens when it cools)

🧊 Where to store it?

→ In the refrigerator! It lasts for years!
→ It doesn't get rock-hard even if frozen, so freezing is also an option! That said, it's so delicious that you'll finish it in less than a year 😊

Always use a clean spoon every time! No bacteria allowed!

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🌸 Finally | Plum work is love.

Grating the green plums and simmering them down is a bit tiring, but
having this little one in the fridge makes me happy and gives me peace of mind.

On days when you're feeling a bit off, or on nights when you don't feel like eating, plum extract should be able to help you!

It's rare to find something like that, isn't it ☺️

Why not let one jar live in your fridge too?

＼Bonus／【3 Plum Miso Arrangements】

🌽 No. 1 | Grilled Corn × Plum Miso

\ Sweetness × Saltiness × Acidity = Perfection /
1. Grill the corn until golden brown. (Leaving the husk on is also fine)
2. Brush with plum miso and sear a little more🔥
3. The savory aroma will knock you out!
⚠️ You'll accidentally find yourself reaching for a second ear.

🧀 No. 2 | Cream Cheese × Plum Miso

\ An unexpected encounter... but absolutely the best /
1. Cut cream cheese into bite-sized pieces
2. Just place a little dollop of plum miso on top!
3. Put it on a cracker, and it's a perfect wine pairing🍷

→ Mixing in chopped shiso leaves or walnuts for a flavor change is also great◎

🍙 No. 3 | Grilled Rice Ball × Plum Miso

\ A divine rice ball you'll want to keep stocked in the freezer /
1. Shape the rice into a ball
2. Spread the plum miso all over the surface
3. Grill until golden in a frying pan or toaster
4. Crispy on the outside! Fluffy on the inside! Sour and savory!

→ Wrapping it in a shiso leaf is also 💯
→ If you mix in ground meat to make "Plum Miso Soboro," it becomes a main dish!


Be careful, you'll find the jar empty before you know it🫶
There are endless applications, such as with "tofu," "chilled somen noodles," or "eggplant dengaku-style"!

If you have a favorite way to arrange it, please let me know🙏✨

Thank you for reading until the end!

Click here for more about Takase Flower Garden💁‍♀️