Green Plums in Season

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In heat of the midday sun, many people turn to something nice and cold to drink. Green plums, which are known for their tasty flavor and health benefits, are now in season. Here’s how you can turn green plums into a cool, healthy drink.

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Green plums are the fruit of Asian plum trees. Piles of seasonal green plums are found in any fruit section.

[Soundbite] Jeong Haeng-ji(Customer) : "I make green plum syrup and use it a lot for cooking, instead of sugar."

Gwangyang in Jeollanam-do Province is a major producer of green plums. Farmers are hard at work harvesting this year's crop.

[Soundbite] Hong Ssang-ri(Green Plum Farm Owner) : "Green plums harvested between June sixth and the 25th are the best for human body, as they are the sourest, and most flavorful and medicinal"

Green plums have traditionally been used for medicinal purposes. It was used as an antidote or a fever reliever during the Joseon Dynasty era when green plums first began to be consumed. The sour taste of green plums is known to stimulate digestion. However, raw green plums have relatively few health benefits, since they are so acidic. They should be first concentrated into a syrup to become more alkaline. Let's make green plum syrup. Pour oligosaccharide into a glass jar filled with green plums. Then pour sugar on top of the plums.

[Soundbite] Hong Ssang-ri(Green Plum Farm Owner) : "It goes moldy on top if only oligosaccharide is used and green plums are exposed. Sugar serves like salt. Green plums should be invisible."

A sweet green plum concentrate is made in some 100 days. Mix the syrup with carbonated water and add ice. Then you can easily enjoy a cold glass of green plum juice.

[Soundbite] Im Soon-yong : "I don't feel tired, as I drink green plum juice while working. It is very good."

Let's make some home-made foods with green plum syrup.

[Soundbite] Im Soo-nam : "You can make foods delicious if you have the versatile green plum sauce."

The ingredients are just soy sauce, green plum syrup, chopped garlic and refined rice wine. Mix soy sauce, green plum syrup and the wine. Add about half as much garlic as green plum syrup. Then boil the mixture and strain it. This is all the process requires. You can use this marinade to make a tasty beef dish without the addition of other ingredients. Green plums are good for the skin.

[Soundbite] Lee Eun-jeong : "I am concerned about wrinkles, as I get older. It has gotten better a lot after I applied green plum packs frequently."

Mix green plum syrup with flour. And apply it on your face. Leave it for ten minutes and wash it off completely with lukewarm water.

[Soundbite] Kang Hyun-young(Dermatologist) : "Vitamins and citric acid contained in green plums help eliminate germs in the skin. With the sterilization effect, green plums soothe the skin and are also effective for removing freckles."

Green plums have various benefits. Take advantage of the seasonal fruit to the fullest and stay healthy in the summer.