29/07/2026
Umeboshi are red because of a leaf.
Red shiso. Pack it in with the plums and they come out deep red.
Leave it out and they stay pale.
Same plums. Two ways.
Doyō-boshi. Three days and three nights in the sun.
One month since salting. The day finally comes.
Out in the morning, in by evening.
At night they come inside, by the door.
Three days and three nights, they say.
We stop when the texture is what we want.
Some years one or two days is enough.
Sun the plum vinegar alongside them. Don't throw it away.
It goes on rice balls, into dressings.
These photographs are about ten years old.
Every summer, this tray comes back out.
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Seasonal work
umeboshi sun drying / red shiso / umezu plum vinegar
What colour did your plums turn this year?
