Homemade Korean Green Plum Syrup

Korean green plum syrup or plum extract (mashil-cheong) is made with green plums and sugar. As the fruit gets fermented, it extracts juices. It has many uses in Korean dishes and drinks.

About 3 months ago, I found the tarty green plums in a Korean grocery store. We call it “mashil(매실)” in Korean. Korean plum syrup or Korean plum extract (mashil-cheong,매실청) is one of the well known secret ingredients in Korean cooking.

You can’t use the green plum the way it is. It is too tarty and almost bitter. You will need to bury them in sugar and take the extract out of the fruits. It becomes the Korean green plum syrup, aka “mashil jeup” in Korean. Or you can call it Korean green plum extract.

Green Plums

The size of green plums are similar to the the size of cherries. They are very tarty but carries abundant amount of nutrition, full of fiber and vitamins. You don’t want to eat them as raw since they are too tarty and fibrous. But fermenting them in sugar will extract all the greatness from these amazing fruit.

Many Koreans make a cold drink with the green plum syrup. The mashil drink (mashil-cha, 매실차) is believed to ease the fatigue and help the digestion after the huge meal. But the best part is to use in cooking. Korean plum syrup is often used in marinating meats. It tenderize the meat nicely. Try this syrup in Korean beef (Bulgogi) recipe. It makes a difference. It can also replace the sugar in many side dish or salad recipes.

Use a Hammer to Remove the Pit

When you make this Korean green plum syrup,  you need to remember one thing. The pit! The pit of green plums has a glycoside component called Amygdalin. It is poisonous. The same goes to peach seed or apricot seed. That’s why we don’t eat the seeds of those fruits.

Typically, the whole green plums are buried in sugar. It shouldn’t be a problem if you let them ferment for a long period, about 1 year. Yes, 1 year!

The Amygdalin will disintegrated by the enzyme that has been produced during the fermentation and won’t cause any harm. However, if you need to use the extract sooner than you think, it can cause stomachaches.

I like to remove the pits. It is easier than you think. Use a hammer. Just wack the fruit on top and the pit will be separated easily. Watch your finger, though.

It is fun to wack the fruits if you haven’t done it yet. Make sure you put a towel underneath the cutting board to protect the table or the counter top. I purchased 1kg of these green plums and it only took about 15 minutes to remove the pits. And I had a fun.

Use a Sterilized Glass Jar

You will need a very clean (sterilized) glass jar that is airtight. I put a layer of 1/3 of fruit then followed by 1/3 of sugar, repeating 2 more times. Let it is on the room temperature for 3 months.

After 3 Months:

The bright green color of the fruit will become golden brown. Strain the fruits and collect the juice in a bowl. 

1 kg of green plums produced me a little over 2 cups of attractive amber colored syrup. My Korean green plum syrup looks beautiful! I regret that I only purchased 1 kg. I should have bought 2 kg.

Storage and Shelf Life  

You will need to store this syrup in the refrigerator always. It will last until you empty out. You can literally enjoy this syrup up to years as long as you keep it cold. The fermentation will continue slowly, and the flavor will become stronger.

Fermented Green Plum Salad

Oh, and the fermented green plum meat? Don’t throw away. You can make a tasty side dish with them. Rinse lightly with water once. For 1 cup of the fruit, use following amount of seasonings:

• 1 cup of chopped fermented green plum
• 1 tablespoon of Korean chili paste
• 1 tablespoon of Korean chili flakes
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2-3 tablespoon of minced red or green onion
• a little sesame oil and sesame seeds
• 1 green chili, chopped (optional)

Just toss together and it can be served as a side dish to any Korean meal. Nothing goes into waste.

Recipes you can use Korean plum syrup (extract)

The recipe links from the top left :

• Bochoy Persimmon Kimchi Salad
• Korean Beef Rice Bowl
• Seaweed Salad with Radish
• Spicy Korean Pork
• Korean BBQ Ribs (LA Galbi)
• Spicy Sea Snail Salad
• Gogalbi
• Cucumber Kimchi.

Now, you can use this syrup in many Korean cooking. Add 1-2 tablespoons into meat or poultry recipes, side dishes or salads, or even in kimchi recipes. I am planing to marinade my Korean BBQ, beef LA Galbi recipe with the delicious Argentine beef and this Korean plum syrup.

I am also going to make cucumber salad with this syrup, and if I can find a mackerel fish, I am going to make my delicious pan fried mackerel recipe called gogalbi. I am excited.

~ Holly

Korean Green Plum Syrup

Holly Ford

Korean green plum syrup or plum extract (mashil-cheong) is made with green plums and sugar. As the fruit gets fermented, it extracts juice. This syrup has many uses in Korean dishes and drinks.

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Prep Time 20 mins

Fermenting time 90 d

Course Cooking Basic

Cuisine Korean

Equipment

• hammer
• sterilized glass jar (2 pint size)

Ingredients

  

For green plum syrup

• 1 kg green plum
• 1 kg granulated sugar

For fermented green plum salad

• 1 cup fermented green plum roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp Korean chili paste (gochujang)
• 1 tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
• 2-3 tbsp red or green onion
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• Put the plum on the cutting board and wack the top with a hammer. The pit will be separated from the fruit. Discard the seeds and collect the fruit.
• In a large airtight container, layer 1/3 of the plum on the bottom and sprinkle 1/3 of the sugar. Repeat the layering until the sugar covers the top. Close the lid and store in a dark place. Let them ferment for 3 month.
• When ready, strain the plum and syrup in a fine strainer. Collect the syrup into a jar and store in the refrigerator.
• For the use of fermented fruit, make green plum salad. Rinse lightly with water once, then season with Korean chili paste, chili flakes, red onion, garlic, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Toss well to coat.

Keyword green plum, homemade green plum extract, homemade green plum syrup, Korean green plum syrup, Korean plum extract, mashil-cheong

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