Korean Plum Wine (Maesil Ju) Recipe

By
Naomi Imatome-Yun
Naomi Imatome-Yun
Asian food expert Naomi Imatome-Yun is a freelance writer and the author of four Asian food cookbooks.
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Updated on 06/27/21
Green plums- maesil
Masahiro Makino / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1296 Calories
1g Fat
319g Carbs
2g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 1296
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 81mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 319g 116%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 312g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 27mg 135%
Calcium 254mg 20%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 828mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Maesil Ju is a traditional Korean liqueur made out of green maesil plums. Sometimes also called plum wine, this liqueur is sweet, tart and refreshing on ice in the summer. You can enjoy maesil ju (green plum wine) as a dessert wine, on ice as an aperitif, mixed into a cocktail, or as an accompaniment to your meal. There are also Chinese and Japanese versions of this liquor or wine, but the Korean “plum wine” is made with soju and honey.

Ingredients

  • 10 pounds ripe, green plums, washed and stemmed

  • 10 pounds brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup honey

  • 24 ounces soju

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Mix maesil and brown sugar together gently in a container with honey.

  3. Pour in bottles of soju and combine with other ingredients.

  4. Cover and let sit in a cool, shady corner for 2-3 months.

  5. Serve chilled or on ice.

Tips

  • For this recipe, you will need a huge liquid container (at least 5 L).
  • If you like your plum liqueur sweeter, you can also add more brown sugar after 2 months.
  • You can drink the wine after a couple months, but the liqueur can also ferment up to a year. You can keep it in the original container or strain the wine and remove the pulp.

About Green Plums

In Korea, the green plums and their blossoms are a symbol of spring and are used as motifs in artwork and pottery. The maesil, or prunus mume, are native to southern China; they were later introduced throughout Asia. In the West, the fruit might be called the “Chinese plum” or the “Japanese apricot”, and in Japan, they are called ume. They are more closely related to the apricot than the plum.

Different plum wines are popular through Asia, and Korea's version is sweet and a little bit tart. Maesil Ju can be enjoyed chilled after a meal or with snacks or meals. These green apricots can be made into tea or juice and pickled or preserved as condiments or snacks.

The maesil (green plum or green apricot) fruit has been used as medicine for centuries in Korea. The "Dongeu bogam,'' an ancient Korean medicine text, notes the use of the maesil in Korea. It was used to treat blood disorders, dehydration, digestive problems, heart problems, and other ailments. Today, the maesil is used in drinks, in food and as part of Korean traditional medicine.

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