Enjoy our Aged Umeboshi Set as a gift for yourself or for that special Umeboshi enthusiast! We are proud and honored that this product was voted as finalist for 2024 Good Foods Awards!

Our Aged Umeboshi Sampler set includes Umeboshi that has seasoned for over 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years. In late Winter, our Ume orchard blooms in Northern California, in an array of red, pink, and white blossoms with an enchanting fragrance, surrounded with the delightful buzzing of pollinating bees, heralding Springs return. Late Spring to early summer, we begin the Ume stonefruit harvest and process at Mume Farm to make our umeboshi. Our hope is that you may taste and experience this ephemeral beauty and seasonality within each Umeboshi, only nature and the passing of time can instill.

Umeboshi is a traditional, Japanese fermented food made from the Ume plum (Prunus mume) and Red Shiso (Perilla frutenscens) herb. Tangy, sour, salty, umami is the flavor profile of Umeboshi. According to principles of Macrobiotics, Umeboshi is one of the most alkalizing, ‘yang’ foods that humans can eat to restore and maintain vibrant health and vitality. As Umeboshi ages, it becomes more complex in flavor, more subtle in character from its sharp, tangy, sour, salty flavor origins. Note, the jellification from the natural pectin inside the ume seed, a delicacy. Did you know, the kernel inside the Umeboshi seed is also edible? Use a stone or nutcracker to open the seed shell. The kernel inside is commonly called “Tenji-sama” in Japan, named after a Shinto patron deity of academia.

Methods

Method 1: Enjoy as a Condiment for a Tea Gathering- We recommend cutting slivers from the Umeboshi flesh with a sharp paring knife, and serve on a small plate with a toothpick to complement a fine cup of green, aged oolong, and pu’er tea.

Method 2 : Enjoy as Umeboshi Tea, a savory, health tonic tea- Drop one Umeboshi into a cup of boiling hot water and allow it to infuse 3-5 minutes. Another variation is called Ume Kombu cha, which is to add Umeboshi with a sliver of dried Kombu seaweed.

Method 3 : Enjoy as a Condiment for meals - Eat as a savory, condiment on top of rice, grains and prepared food dishes such as an Onigiri, Sushi, as a paste to add in sauces to add a rich, umami flavor. Ume is part the stone fruit family as well so it pairs well with aged cheeses, as a unique offering on top of a charcuterie board. We recommend the Aged 3 or 5 year Umeboshi for this method.

Storage: Our method of Umeboshi preservation requires no refrigeration and best stored in a pantry or cabinet, out of direct sun. Properly stored, it can stay preserved for many decades.

Large set packaged in 7.5oz jars.