Kim Dae-seok's Plum Pickles

Name: Kim Dae-seok's Plum Pickles
Cook time: 1500 min
Total time: 1500 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: large plums (before seed removal) 3kg; sugar 3kg; 5-year-aged natural sea salt 2 tablespoons

Plum pickles with a firm, chewy texture and rich umami flavor, made by drawing out moisture from plums with sugar and adding natural sea salt for depth.

1 day 1 hr Difficulty Normal side dish

Main ingredients

plum

Ingredients needed 10 servings

large plums (before seed removal) 3kg

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plum

Yoon Yi-ryeon's Maesil Jangajji

A rice thief maesil jangajji that separates the pit cleanly to preserve a crisp texture and is pickled sweet and tangy with raw sugar.

1 hrNormalside dish

maesil (green plums)raw sugar

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Kim Dae-seok's Plum Pickled Plums with Chili Paste and Sesame Oil

A quick and savory side dish that transforms well-aged plum pickles into a spicy, fragrant accompaniment perfect for rice, made by tossing them with fiery chili paste, chili powder, and a hint of nutty sesame oil.

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sugar 3kg

5-year-aged natural sea salt 2 tablespoons

Recipe

Wash thoroughly and dry large plums, then use a fruit knife to make 1cm incisions on the flesh to separate the seeds.
Mix half of the prepared sugar—1.5kg—with the separated plum flesh and let sit for one day to draw out moisture.
After one day, when all moisture has been drawn out, strain the plum flesh through a sieve and reserve the liquid (broth), leaving it at a thick consistency—about half of the original amount.
Add 2 tablespoons of 5-year-aged natural sea salt to the reserved broth and mix well to enhance umami flavor.
Transfer the strained plum flesh into a glass jar and pour the salted broth over it until it reaches a thick consistency.
Cover the top completely with the remaining 1.5kg of sugar to seal out air and prevent mold growth.
Close the lid tightly, then slightly open it to release gas, and store in a shaded area. Stir occasionally for three months.

Cut plum flesh and remove seeds, then mix with half the sugar and let sit for one day.
Strain the flesh, mix the remaining broth with 2 tablespoons of natural sea salt, and combine with the plum in a jar.
Cover the top with the remaining sugar, store in a shaded place, and stir periodically during aging.

Cooking tips

Use large, firm plums for pickling to ensure a crisp, chewy texture.
After the first soak, divide the leftover broth into plum syrup containers to help reduce moisture and boost flavor in homemade plum syrup.
Adding a small amount of natural sea salt enhances not just sweetness but also deep, savory umami.

Recommended for

Those who want a premium side dish with a tangy-sweet taste and a crisp, chewy texture.
Those seeking a traditional pickle recipe that keeps well over time and develops deep, lasting flavor.

Kim Dae-seok's Maesil Jangajji Gimbap

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Lim Sung-geun's Plum Tomato Pickle

A refreshing, tangy-sweet blue tomato pickle ready in just 5 minutes without fire, enjoyed crisp and vibrant all year round

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Yoon Yi-ryeon's Dolsan Gat Jangajji

A refreshing and clean jangajji made with Dolsan mustard greens. Pour a pickling liquid made of soy sauce, soju, vinegar, plum extract, and unrefined cane sugar over salted greens and let them mature.

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This Man's Cook Perilla Leaf Pickled Salad

Perilla leaves are stacked upright and quickly softened by a hot pickling liquid, then the resulting brine is fully reused as a seasoning base—this is an Altoran-style perilla leaf salad recipe.

1 hr 20 minNormalside dish

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Kim Dae-seok's Plum Pickles

Main ingredients 🥩

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Ingredients needed 🛒10 servings