青梅露不起泡不發酵🍑不使手電鍋🍑不失敗耐保存
很受歡迎的青梅露，利用高糖的滲透壓作用，讓青梅釋出果肉里的水分，萃取精華，酸甜解渴
大理胭脂梅，果肉結實，顆粒小，出汁少，酸度高皮，薄氧化速度快，今年這批次香氣都很不錯。在我用過的青梅品種裡，雲南胭脂梅果皮特別薄，釀製蜂蜜梅酒時氧化速度最快，用這種青梅製作青梅露是有挑戰性的
原蔗冰糖(原漿冰糖) VS 單晶冰糖
原蔗冰糖由純甘蔗原漿製作，非白砂糖重新結晶，甜味較豐富溫潤。單晶冰糖由白砂糖高溫提煉而成，甜味較為單調
冰糖精製程度高，甜味較溫和，不會弱化梅子的風味，沖泡飲料時不用加太多水去稀釋，更能品嚐到青梅的香氣
用白醋殺菌並作為「誘導水」，可加速糖粉溶解的速度，加快提高滲透壓，這個量並不影響青梅香氣和味道
炎炎夏日，你用會怎麼享用青梅糖漿？
有人說青梅露有發酵和不發酵 2 種，發酵的青梅露適合飲用嗎？首先水果糖液發酵之後糖被消耗，就不是濃糖漿了，應該稱為 DIY 青梅發酵液。酵液是發酵過的液體，而酵素則是一種「酶」的蛋白質，酵素 enzymes 存在於生物體內，並非我們可在家 DIY。生物體內發生的一切化學反應，如消化、修復、呼吸等生命活動，都是在酶的催化作用下實現。
酶的功能讓商人製造出「酵素產品」，誤導消費者以為利用水果加糖發酵，就可以「培養」水果酵素，喝下去就可以喝下「酶」，酶本身就是存在於生物體中的「物質」，它不是一種「菌」，不能像酵母菌一樣可以被「養」出來，所謂青梅酵素，只是水果和糖在微生物發酵作用下產生的液體，只能是酵液非「酵素」，這些酵液在發酵後沒有控制環境因素，在空氣裡持續發酵，不同菌群之間會一直競爭與取代，發酵液裡的成分與性質一直在變化，屬於一個不穩定的狀態，不免會有雜菌落入的機會，偶有不變壞的但需運氣加持，食安問題令人擔憂。許多朋友的青梅露在發酵之後，突然有一天表面出現白色半透明黏液，五顏六色的膜，就是益菌打敗扙開始腐壞的證明，切記不能食用。
青梅發酵食譜可以試試「蜂蜜梅酒」、自釀青梅醋，或者培養青梅酵種做麵包也很不錯
◤材料
- 青梅 1 kg
- 原漿冰糖 1 kg
- 白米醋 60 ml
- 密封玻璃瓶 2 公升
❶ 我今次用大理胭脂梅，去蒂，丟棄壞果，在很細的流水下沖洗 10 分鐘，放在網架上風乾至表面乾燥，用手觸摸感受不到潮濕
❷ 稱重，以青梅塞滿玻璃瓶為準
❸ 放入夾鏈袋裡，放進冷凍室結冰，梅子最多冷凍 1 天，時間越久風味流失越多，冷凍會產生冰晶刺穿水果內部的細胞壁，快速萃取梅子精華，使風味更容易帶入糖漿裡
❹ 原蔗冰糖，敲打成碎片，再打磨成糖粉，糖粉有利於覆蓋青梅表面，減慢氧化和保護青梅免被細菌入侵
❺ 玻璃瓶先進行清潔和消毒，做法可參考我的視頻「清潔與消毒」
❻ 一層糖一層青梅，顆粒大的冰糖在底，糖粉在上面，糖粉盡量填滿青梅之間所有空隙，青梅裝到八分滿
❼ 把白米醋由上頭均匀淋上，一層糖一層冷凍梅子，再鋪一層糖粉封頂，瓶子滿了裝不下所有的糖粉，剩下約 1/4 的糖粉，放一旁備用。
❽ 2 小時後，瓶底的糖粉開始溶化，糖粉向下掉，加入餘下的糖粉，減少瓶裡的空氣，糖粉用不完放夾鏈袋備用，明白我為什麼喜歡這種瓶子了吧
❾ 第 1 天多倒立和躺平，讓糖液均勻接觸每一顆梅子，有利於加速梅子出汁，每天將瓶子朝不同的方向搖搖。部份糖粉溶化後又有空間騰出來，剩下的糖全部加进去，用糖粉包裹梅子可在出汁前，緩減梅子氧化的速度。底層胭脂梅最早出汁，顏色保持金黃，表示氧化速度最慢
❿入醋殺菌的糖漿不會發酵，注意這些並不是發酵的泡沫，糖粉溶化後便會消失
⓫液體持續增加，梅子浮起來。外出幾天沒理它，室溫30ºC也沒有發酵
⓬不發酵的糖漿可以一直保持高糖狀態，不會產生氣體，也不需要排氣，不用擔心細菌污染，可室溫保存，不佔冰箱空間
⓭冷凍青梅加速出汁，萃取梅子精華，但缺點是導致糖沉澱，不時轉動瓶讓梅子交換位置，防止黴菌感染上浮的果子。如果糖仍然沉在瓶底，用乾淨消毒的筷子攪拌，沉底的糖便會快速溶化
⓮梅汁持續釋出，果肉持續收縮，糖漿從黏稠變成稀薄，從混濁變成透明琥珀色，梅子收縮得皺巴巴，就可以飲用了，1 個月後，青梅的風味會更濃郁，等上一年更有深度
⓯青梅糖漿液體清澈，果肉持續收縮不會膨脹，時間長了顏色會得更深一些，糖漿的抑菌效果會隨時間慢慢減弱，糖完全溶化後轉到窄口瓶中保存，減少接觸空氣的面積，有助於延長保存時間，存放在陽光直射不到處，青梅露(糖漿)就完成啦～
⓰若表面出半透明黏液或五顏六色的黴菌，便不能食用，安全第一
◤Ingredients
- Green Plum 1 kg
- Raw Rock Sugar 1 kg
- White rice vinegar 60 ml
- 2-litre airtight glass jars
Highly popular plum wine utilizes the osmotic pressure of high sugar content to extract the essence by drawing out the moisture from the plum flesh. The refreshingly sweet-and-sour taste is very satisfying.
The Dali Yanzhi plum has a firm flesh, small grains, and low juice yield. It has a high acidity in the skin and a fast oxidation rate. However, the aroma of this batch is quite nice. Among the plum varieties I’ve used, the Yunnan Yanzhi plum has an especially thin skin, making it the fastest to oxidize when making honey plum wine. Using this type of plum to make plum wine poses some challenges.
Raw cane sugar (raw syrup sugar) vs. white crystal sugar
Raw cane sugar is made from pure sugarcane syrup, not recrystallized from white sugar. It has a richer, smoother sweetness. White crystal sugar is highly refined from white sugar, resulting in a more monotonous sweetness.
Refined sugar has a milder sweetness and won’t diminish the flavor of the plums. When making a drink, less water is needed to dilute it, allowing the aroma of the plums to shine through.
Using white rice vinegar for sterilization and as a “moisture inducer” can speed up the dissolution of the sugar powder and accelerate the increase in osmotic pressure, without affecting the aroma and taste of the plums.
In the scorching summer, how would you enjoy the plum syrup?
Some say there are two types of plum wine – fermented and unfermented. Is fermented plum wine suitable for drinking? First, after the fruit sugar liquid is fermented, the sugar is consumed, so it’s no longer a concentrated syrup – it should be called a DIY fermented plum liquid. Fermentation liquid is the liquid after fermentation, while enzymes are a type of protein “enzyme” that exists within living organisms, not something we can DIY at home. All the chemical reactions in living organisms, such as digestion, repair, and respiration, are realized through the catalytic action of enzymes.
The functionality of enzymes has allowed businesses to manufacture “enzyme products”, misleading consumers into thinking that by adding fruit and sugar and fermenting, they can “cultivate” fruit enzymes, and by drinking it they are consuming the “enzymes”. Enzymes themselves are substances that exist within living organisms – they are not a “microbe” that can be “cultivated” like yeast. So-called plum enzymes are just the liquid produced by the fruit and sugar undergoing microbial fermentation – it is only fermentation liquid, not “enzymes”. These fermentation liquids continue to ferment in the air after fermentation, with different microbial groups competing and replacing each other, and the composition and properties are constantly changing – an unstable state where the chance of contamination by foreign bacteria is high. While some may not spoil, it requires luck, and food safety concerns are worrisome. Many friends’ plum wines suddenly develop white, translucent viscous substances, or multicolored membranes on the surface after fermentation, which is a sign that beneficial microbes have been overtaken and spoilage has begun. These should not be consumed.
❶ I used large crimson plums this time, removed the stems, discarded any spoiled fruit, and rinsed them under a gentle stream of water for 10 minutes. I then placed them on a wire rack to air-dry until the surface was no longer damp to the touch.
❷ I weighed the plums and filled the glass jars to the brim with them.
❸ I placed the plums in a ziplock bag and put them in the freezer. The plums can be frozen for up to 1 day; the longer they are frozen, the more the flavour will be lost. Freezing creates ice crystals that can pierce the cell walls of the fruit, which helps to quickly extract the essence of the plums into the syrup.
❹ I crushed the raw cane sugar into coarse granules and then ground it into a fine powder. The powdered sugar will help to coat the surface of the plums, slowing oxidation and protecting them from bacterial invasion.
❺ I thoroughly cleaned and sterilised the glass jars, following the method in my “Cleaning and Sterilising” video.
❻ I layered the sugar and plums, placing the coarse sugar granules at the bottom and the powdered sugar on top. I packed the plums in tightly, leaving about an eighth of the jar unfilled.
❼ I poured the white rice vinegar evenly over the top. I then added another layer of sugar and frozen plums, topping it off with the remaining powdered sugar. The powdered sugar that didn’t fit in the jar was set aside for later use.
❽ After 2 hours, the sugar at the bottom had started to dissolve, causing the powdered sugar to sink down. I added the remaining powdered sugar to fill the spaces, reducing the air pockets. Any leftover sugar was stored in a ziplock bag for later use.
❾ For the first day, I turned the jar over and laid it on its side to allow the sugar syrup to evenly coat the plums, which helps accelerate the release of the plum juice. I continued to rotate the jar in different directions each day. As some of the powdered sugar dissolved, there was more space for the remaining sugar to be added, fully enveloping the plums to slow oxidation.
❿ The vinegar-infused sugar syrup will not ferment. The foaming you see is not fermentation, but simply the powdered sugar dissolving.
⓫ The liquid continues to increase, causing the plums to float. I left it alone for a few days, even at 30°C room temperature, and it did not ferment.
⓬ The non-fermentable sugar syrup can be kept at a high sugar concentration indefinitely without producing gas. There is no need to worry about bacterial contamination, and it can be stored at room temperature without taking up refrigerator space.
⓭ Freezing the plums accelerates the release of their essence, but it can also cause the sugar to precipitate. I regularly turn the jar to prevent the floating fruit from being affected by mould. If the sugar settles at the bottom, I gently stir it with a clean, sterilised chopstick to help it dissolve quickly.
⓮ As the plum juice continues to be released, the fruit will shrink, and the syrup will transition from a thick, cloudy consistency to a clear, amber colour. Once the plums are shrivelled, the infusion is ready to be consumed. After 1 month, the plum flavour will be more concentrated, and after a year, it will develop even deeper complexity.
⓯ The plum syrup will remain clear, and the fruit will continue to shrink without swelling. Over time, the colour will deepen, and the preservative effect of the sugar will gradually diminish. Once the sugar has fully dissolved, I transfer the infusion to a narrower-necked bottle to reduce the surface area exposed to air, which helps extend the shelf life. I store it in a place out of direct sunlight.
⓰ If the surface develops a semi-transparent, sticky film or colourful mould, the infusion is no longer safe to consume. Safety is the top priority.
