The Magic of Making Delicious Lemon Sour

It is to "make it yourself."

To be more specific, it is to "make the lemon sour base yourself."

To be even more specific, it would be best if you could grow the lemons yourself, but...
please let me reluctantly give up on that part.

So, today I plan to write about how to make a lemon sour base.

...You might be thinking, "Since when did you become a cooking-related noter?"
but I will just accept this as a legitimate form of creative activity!

So, let's get started!

Why did I decide to make a lemon sour base?

I started making fruit liquor about a year ago.

I prepare "lemon sour base" around January to February, and "plum wine" around May to June.

But why did I start making fruit liquor in the first place...
It has to do with the passing of a relative the year before last.

That person loved alcohol, especially barley shochu, and apparently enjoyed a nightly drink every day despite having a chronic illness.

There was a large stock of barley shochu at their home, and the family, not knowing what to do with it, reached out to me because I like alcohol.

Here is the shochu I received.

It is a popular barley shochu with a fruity aroma and a refreshing taste.

...However, personally, it was a bit outside of my preferred taste, and I thought it might be tough to drink it all, so I started looking for other ways to use it and ended up with "making fruit liquor."

If I turned it into fruit liquor, the taste wouldn't bother me, and my wife, who doesn't usually drink shochu, might be able to drink it too.
Above all, I wouldn't have to waste the shochu I had been given!

I thought this was a good idea, so I used "lemons," which were in season at the time, to make a "lemon sour base."

And you know what?
It's delicious.

Even if an amateur makes it.
It's still delicious.

From there, I tried various ways of making it, challenged myself with plum wine, and that brings me to where I am now.

Alcohol you make yourself is exceptional!

Alcohol you make yourself is like...

• Instant ramen made over a fire you started yourself while solo camping.

• A cup of coffee brewed at the summit of a mountain you climbed while carrying heavy luggage and gasping for air.

• Sashimi made from fish you caught in the ocean and prepared yourself on the boat.

It might be the same as those.

Well, I've never actually experienced any of these examples...!
But I sort of get it, you know?

Just as the experience and process make the taste exceptional, the alcohol you make yourself is also exceptional!

How to make Lemon Sour

Lemon sour base is especially easy to make.

If you like alcohol, why not try making it yourself?
With that suggestion in mind, I will introduce the recipe for the lemon sour base that I make.

[Ingredients]

This recipe uses the lemon peel as well, so in that case, I recommend domestic lemons because imported lemons may have fungicides or other chemicals used on them.

Oh, and please prepare a storage container as well.
With the ingredients above, a 2-liter container will fit everything perfectly.

[Steps]

1. Cut the lemon

First, wash the lemon well and wipe it thoroughly to remove any moisture.
Then, peel the lemon as if you were peeling an apple.
*We will use the peel later, so it is recommended to peel it in long strips.

2. Cut off the white pith

The pith is the source of bitterness, so cut it off.
*Roughly is fine.

By the way, since this pith is quite fluffy, using a peeler or the cutting method described below is not recommended.
The knife might slip and you could end up cutting your finger!

3. Slice the lemon into rounds about 1cm thick

4. Sterilize the storage container

You can use alcohol or sterilize it with boiling water.
Also, if you are sterilizing the jar with boiling water, do not pour the boiling water in all at once!
The sudden temperature change might cause the jar to crack, so it is better to warm it up first by pouring in some lukewarm water.

5. Put the ingredients into the storage container

Add the fruit, peel, and rock sugar in that order, and finally pour in the shochu so that everything is submerged.

6. Cover and let it sit in a cool, dark place for about a week

Since I don't have a good cool, dark place in my home, I store it in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
Shake the container once a day until the rock sugar has dissolved.
After one week, remove the peels.
(Because bitterness will start to come out from the peels)

*Here is what it looks like after letting it sit for a week ↓

7. Complete!!

Finally, top it off with your preferred amount of carbonated water, and your lemon sour is complete!!

When pouring the carbonated water, please chant, "Become delicious, moe moe kyun♡."
※For the "kyun♡" part, you can also use "nyan♡," "kyururun♡," or anything else you like.

Phew.
With that, I've fulfilled the "magic" mentioned in the title.
One shouldn't just give things random titles.

Conclusion

How was it?

It's nice to do something like this once in a while, isn't it?
Please forgive me.

Once early summer arrives, I'd like to try making plum wine as well.

If you have any fruit liquor recommendations, please let me know in the comments section!