Kim Dae-seok's Jujube Plum Syrup

Name: Kim Dae-seok's Jujube Plum Syrup
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 360 min
Yield: 50 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: plum 10kg; white sugar 10kg; jujube 20 pieces

A traditional plum syrup with deep, luxurious flavor achieved by layering plums and sugar in a 1:1 ratio, enhanced with jujubes as a secret ingredient.

6 hr Difficulty Easy Sauces & basics

Main ingredients

plumjujube

Ingredients needed 50 servings

plum 10kg

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plum jujube

Kim Dae-seok's Maesil Cheong

A homemade maesil cheong made with green plums, unrefined sugar, and oligosaccharide, balanced with a pinch of sea salt

3 hr 40 minEasySauces & basics

Green plumsUnrefined sugarOligosaccharide

HomemadeAll-purpose sauceTraditional food

Yoon Yi-ryeon's Maesil Syrup

A traditional method for making maesil extract that develops deep flavor over a long period without mold or spoilage, drawing on 50 years of cooking know-how.

40 minEasySauces & basics

maesilraw sugar

all-purpose saucetraditional foodhomemade

white sugar 10kg

jujube 20 pieces

Recipe

Wash the plums thoroughly, then dry completely for 5 hours and 30 minutes until no moisture remains. (Wearing onion bags or rubber gloves while washing helps easily remove fine hairs.)
Once fully dry, use toothpicks to carefully remove the bitter stems from each plum one by one.
Prepare two 12L glass jars, dividing the contents evenly: 5kg of plums, 5kg of sugar, and 100g of jujubes per jar.
Start by placing a layer of plums at the bottom of the jar, cover with white sugar, then sprinkle about three jujubes intermittently.
Repeat this process, stacking plums and jujubes alternately, pressing down firmly with sugar between layers to eliminate air pockets.
Top off with all remaining sugar, covering the plums completely so they are entirely hidden, ensuring full air exclusion.
Cover the jar opening with a clean, dry cloth and secure it with a rubber band to prevent insects. Place the lid loosely on top—do not seal tightly—to allow gas release.
After two weeks, when about half the sugar has dissolved, gently stir from the bottom using a wooden spoon. Stir once a week until July to prevent foam formation.
The toxicity in plum seeds disappears after one year, so let the syrup age for at least one year before use. Do not remove the pulp; keep it in the jar for up to three years, only skimming off the clear syrup as needed.

Wash plums thoroughly, dry completely for 5.5 hours, then use toothpicks to remove stems cleanly.
Alternate layers of plums, jujubes, and sugar in glass jars, topping with a thick layer of remaining sugar.
Cover with a cloth and place the lid loosely. Stir periodically starting two weeks after preparation, aging for over one year.

Cooking tips

Avoid plastic containers due to explosion risk from fermentation gases. Always use glass jars and never seal the lid tightly—leave it slightly ajar to allow gas escape.
Adding jujubes enhances a subtle aroma and natural sweetness, balancing the artificial sweetness of sugar and creating a refined, elegant flavor.
After one year, the sucrose (disaccharide) in the syrup breaks down into glucose (monosaccharide), making it safe and suitable for moderate consumption.

Recommended for

Those seeking a deeper, more sophisticated flavor in their annual plum syrup instead of the ordinary version.
Home cooks who want to follow the original method step-by-step and make it themselves.

This Man's Cook's Red Date Ginger Syrup

A homemade syrup made by boiling red dates and ginger without aging, resulting in a rich, smooth flavor enhanced with the sweetness of black sugar and plum syrup.

1 hrNormalSauces & basics

red datesgingerblack sugarplum syrup

winter drinkhome cafeall-purpose sauce