Salt-Preserved Cherry Blossoms (in Plum Vinegar). In Japan, they preserve cherry blossoms in salt and ume or plum vinegar and then use them for tea or mix them with rice. After you've harvested some cherry blossoms and a handful of leaves, rinse them off. Our fresh cherry blossoms are soaked in Ume plum vinegar to preserve the pink color and then pickled in salt.

Travelling with a camper van to find. In Japan, cherry blossoms are not only appreciated for their beauty, but they are also used as a special food ingredient. On the next day, the brine is squeezed out and the flowers are pickled in ume plum vinegar (梅酢). You can cook Salt-Preserved Cherry Blossoms (in Plum Vinegar) using 3 ingredients and 8 steps. Here is how you achieve that.

Ingredients of Salt-Preserved Cherry Blossoms (in Plum Vinegar)

You need 50-70 grams of Yae-zakura (double-petal cherry blossoms).
It's 3-5 Tbsp of Salt.
Prepare of Plum vinegar, enough to cover the cherry blossoms.

Finally, they are left to dry again before being packed in a bag or jar in salt. I've finally made preserved cherry blossoms — both the sweet and salty cherry blossoms — to serve them with sparkling wine at a party. They do not float under water, but on the surface, and neither of them really affects the taste much. But if you haven't tried the sparkling wine without them in first.

Salt-Preserved Cherry Blossoms (in Plum Vinegar) instructions

Fill water in a bowl, then add the cherry blossoms. They will float, so immerse them with your hands, then gently rinse..
Line a plate with a paper towel, arrange the petals on it, then place another paper towel on top to absorb the excess water..
In a sterilized jar (prepared by boiling), thickly coat the bottom with salt. Add a layer of cherry blossoms; next, layer on enough salt to completely cover the blossoms, then add another layer of blossoms, and repeat..
This is the plum vinegar. It is a byproduct of umeboshi (pickled plums). This is from my mother, but they also sell it in stores. You can pickle the blossoms without it, but it helps preserve the blossoms and maintain their color..
After layering the jar with the blossoms and salt, fill with enough plum vinegar to cover the blossoms. Finally, add enough salt to completely cover the blossoms. (The photo shows what the jar looks like after adding the vinegar.) Cover with a lid, then store in a cool, dark place for over a week..
These were pickled by my mother about 4 years ago..
Even after 4 years, they are still beautiful..
They look so gorgeous in these inari sushi with cherry blossoms..

This tea is made by preserving cherry blossoms in salt and plum vinegar. Sakura is the name for the famous pink cherry blossoms that bloom all over Japan in the spring. For centuries, cherry blossoms are pickled and preserved by soaking them in Ume plum vinegar to preserve the beautiful pink color. Yunnan Deng Xuan Import And Export Trade Co., Ltd. is specialized in the production and development of Chinese puer tea from gushu (old aged tea tree). Cherry blossoms are a prevalent symbol in Irezumi, the traditional art of Japanese tattoos.