18/09/2026
季節の手仕事をポルトガルの地で。
梅の木がないポルトガルでは、アプリコットや、グリーンゲージ(ポルトガルではRainha Cláudia という名前)のスモモ系で梅干しを作る。
アプリコットは、春のひどい嵐で庭の枝が折れてしまい、まだ青い状態のもので漬けてみた。 固いけど酸っぱさがあるから、良い感じのカリカリ梅になった! (1枚目の写真)
そのあとグリーンゲージは甘くて売れたものを塩漬けにして、酸味が足りないから少しクエン酸も加えて1ヶ月ほど漬けた。
これは、干した後に赤紫蘇と一緒に漬けたけど、なぜか全然染まらない。でもねっとり感は完熟梅に近くて、そこにスモモのフルーティー感が増してとても美味しい! 個人的にはこっちが美味しくて好き。(写真2枚目と3枚目)
このカリカリ梅に蜂蜜を加えてはちみつ梅を作ったら、これがとっても美味しくて。 漬け汁も最高で、これは後で素麺などに使ったり、胡瓜のスライスと一緒に和えてサラダにしたら最高で、ポップアップのディナーや焼き鳥丼にも使った。
さらに、赤紫蘇と一緒に刻んで昨日のファーマーズマーケットで出したおにぎりにも使ったのだけど、桜みたいな色で可愛いくて、程よい酸味もついて、焼いたサーモンの脂を緩和する良い役目にも。
来年もまた色々たくさん漬けたいな、とすでにワクワクしている!
Seasonal handcrafting in Portugal.
Since there are no Ume plum trees here in Portugal, I make umeboshi (pickled plums) using apricots or a type of plum called Rainha Cláudia in Portugal.
This spring, a severe storm broke some branches off the apricot tree in my garden, so I decided to pickle the apricots while they were still green. Though firm, they had a nice tartness, making them turn into wonderfully crunchy Umeboshi ! (1st photo)
Later on, I salt-pickled some sweet, fully ripened Rainha Cláudia. Since they lacked acidity, I added a bit of citric acid and let them cure for about a month. Afterwards, I dried them and pickled them with red shiso (akajiso), but for some reason, they didn't absorb the red color at all. Still, their soft, jammy texture is very close to ripe ume, blended with a rich, fruity plum flavor that makes them absolutely delicious! Personally, this one is my favorite. (2nd and 3rd photos)
I also made honey ume by adding honey to the crunchy apricots, and it turned out incredible. The pickling juice is brilliant too—I've used it for cold somen noodles and tossed it with sliced cucumbers for a refreshing salad. I even incorporated it into dishes for popup dinners and on top of yakitori bowls!
On top of that, I chopped them up with red shiso to use in the onigiri I served at yesterday's farmers' market. It gave them a lovely, cherry-blossom pink hue, a gentle tartness, and did a fantastic job cutting through the richness of the grilled salmon.
I’m already so excited thinking about all the different batches I want to pickle again next year!
#季節の手仕事 #ポルトガル