Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Washing Maesil Fruits
- In a washing bowl, add the maesil fruits. Sprinkle the baking soda on top of the maesil fruits.
- Add cold water to the bowl until the fruits submerge. Then add vinegar. Mix.
- Lightly rub the maesil fruits in the water. Then take them out and rinse them thoroughly with running water.
- Lightly dab the maesil fruits with a dry towel. Then, remove all the stems from the maesil fruits. You can use a toothpick to do it easily. They can make the maesil cheong bitter. Let all the maesil fruits dry completely.
Disinfecting the Glass jar
- In a pot, add water again. Take the glass jar you want to put your cheong in and put it upside down. Bring it to a boil.
- Do not put a glass jar straight into boiling water. It can break the glass. Put the glass in the pot first, then bring it to a boil slowly.
- Slowly bring the water to a boil. Let the glass jar be disinfected with boiling water. Once the water starts to boil, turn down the heat to medium-high. Let it boil for about 5 minutes.
- Take out the glass jar and let it completely dry.
Making Maesil Cheong
- Add some maesil fruits to the glass jar. Sprinkle some brown sugar. Add more maesil fruits to the glass jar, and sprinkle the brown sugar in between the fruits. Repeat until the jar is full.
- Before closing the jar, make sure to sprinkle sugar on top again. Optionally, you can add more allulose syrup here on top.
Fermenting Maesil Cheong
- You can leave the jar in a cool, dark room. Once every week, check the jar and mix the maesil fruits and sugar well.
- You can leave the maesil cheong as it is for up to 3 months. Then, take the maesil fruits out of the maesil cheong.
- You can use the maesil syrup for drinks or to sweeten dishes. With the maesil fruits from the maesil cheong, you can add them to a jar and pour some soju to make some maesil alcohol called maesil-ju.