Her main bag is Japanese comfort food pop-ups and catering, with an emphasis on using seasonal Northwest ingredients.
Since I know she makes umeboshi legitimately, I asked about her process.
How did you learn to make umeboshi?
She never really made umeboshi growing up, but her mom did, so she had some recollection.
What is the significance of umeboshi to you?
Whats your favorite thing to do with umeboshi?
I actually like to eat ume in different stages of softness.
I like eating that with rice.
But in general, umeboshi is just so great inside an onigiri wrapped in nori.
This was very easy to do, and it only took a few minutes to get through them all.
The vessel you make the umeboshi in must be absolutely clean.
Wash and dry it, swirl the vodka around the inside, then pour it out.
This sanitizes the jar.
Start layering in the plums into the crock.
Do so in an orderly way; dont just dump them in.
attempt to create layers, and between each layer, youre going to sprinkle in some of that salt.
Do not fire up the crock.
This removes the impurities, explains Jane.
The next day, place the contents of the crock in a clean bowl youve also sanitized with vodka.
Now layer everything back into the crock, this time with the shiso leaves.
Now weigh it down again.
The shiso also imparts flavor.
You do this every day, on a drying mat, returning them to the crock in the evening.
Hashimawari called it Soft, but not like a raisin!
Then you simply jar them back up, and leave them to age, the longer, the better.
Not surprisingly, it still produced really phenomenal pickles and plenty of the umeshu I love.
3 pounds of green, Italian plums.
Clean your crock in the same way, then give your plums a bath in the same vodka.
Since these plums and the shiso are ready at the same time, well layer them all in together.
Add a layer of shiso, then plums, and then salt, then start over.
How to use umeboshi and umeshu
My favorite hack is toflavor whipped cream with the umeshu.
Its salty and colorful and makes whipped cream taste special.
Layered on a matcha sponge cake, it is luxurious in new, unique way.
Hashimawari makes onigiri with umeboshi every year that are quite popular.
Some years, it goes awry and mold forms and you have to toss the whole thing.
Other years are better for reasons I cant nail down.
