Kanrobai (Sugar-Cured Green Ume Wrapped in Red Shiso)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 360 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 20 servings
- Ingredients
- 4
About this dish
Kanrobai is a preserved sweet from the Ogose area of Saitama.
Read more
Firm green ume are pitted, cured first with sugar, wrapped piece by piece in red shiso leaves colored with ume vinegar, and matured again in syrup. One kilogram of freshly harvested fruit soaks in water for 5 hours to reduce harshness, then is quartered and mixed with two thirds of the sugar until it releases liquid. The shiso leaves spend one day in ume vinegar and are squeezed well so their color and aroma remain concentrated. After wrapping, the remaining sugar and enough plum syrup to cover the fruit are added. About one month under refrigeration allows sweetness, acidity, and the red shiso color to move into the flesh. Raw green ume is not tasted before curing is complete.
Ingredients
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Select 1kg firm green ume without bruises or mold and remove the stems.
Soak in ample cold water for 5 hours, wash each fruit under running water, and spread on a clean cloth until completely dry.
- 2Season
Cut four deep lines around each ume, divide the flesh into quarters, and remove every pit.
In a heat-sanitized, fully dried lidded container, alternate layers of fruit and 600g sugar.
- 3Control
Cover and keep in a cool room away from direct light, turning the fruit with clean tongs every 12 hours.
As soon as syrup begins releasing, within 24 hours, move the container to a refrigerator at 4°C or below.
- 4Prep
Gently wash 100g red shiso leaves and dry thoroughly.
Put them in a clean container with 300ml ume vinegar so every leaf is submerged, refrigerate for 24 hours, then squeeze firmly.
- 5Control
Wrap each sugar-cured ume piece in a shiso leaf and pack into a sanitized container.
Scatter the remaining 300g sugar between layers, pour in all released ume syrup to cover the fruit, and mature at 4°C or below for 1 month.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- One kilogram firm green ume with every pit removed
- Finish cue
- Wrap each sugar-cured ume piece in a shiso leaf and pack into a sanitized container.
- Avoid this
- Do not eat raw green ume or its pits.
- Storage and reheating
- About one month under refrigeration allows sweetness, acidity, and the red shiso color to move into the flesh.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
360min, 4 ingredients
Category median
45min, 6 ingredients
Based on 144 recipes
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
