June in Japan is the season for making plum wine. Since making it is quite simple, today I'd love to share how to make it with you.

Every year, I make 1 liter of plum wine and I liter of plum syrup. Since my son-in-law gave me 3 kilograms of organic plums this year, I made 2 liters of plum wine and 1 liter of plum syrup. Although I'm allergic to alcohol and can't drink most of it, I enjoy making the plum wine because it has several healthy benefits. I like to manage my family members' health. I'll give 1 jar of plum wine to my parents.

Benefits of plum wine:

Sterilizing effect

Antioxidant effect

Improvement of blood circulation effect

Fatigue recovery effect

Blood-thinning effect

Because of these effects, plum wine has been made in Japan since the Edo period.

Let me explain how to make plum syrup. You’ll need 1 kg of green plums and 1 kg of rock sugar. Just put them together in a jar and wait for the sugar to dissolve. That’s it! I love drinking this syrup with cold sparkling water in summer and in winter I make hot drinks mixing with the syrup with the hot water. Both taste so good!

Making plum wine needs 1kg of green plums, 1kg of rook sugar and 1liter of shōchū. I use a special brand from Okinawa because high-quality ingredients usually make better results.

Place the three ingredients into a jar and leave it about for six months.

The picture below shows my homemade plum wine last year I made. It has turned a lovely amber color. Plum has its distinctive aroma and tart flavor. So, the wine tastes sweet and sour. I drink a small amount of it every day because I expect the benefits. Summer in Japan can be brutal, but thanks to the plum wine, I feel more energetic. I make drinks from the wine with carbonated water in summer. In winter I drink hot wine with hot water. Both taste good.

The last two pictures shows a drink making from sparkling water mixing with plum syrup. It has sweet, sour taste and I love it.

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