外公的酸梅秘方 Grandfather's pickled plum recipe

由媽媽操刀的梅子鴨才發現自己由細到大所吃的酸梅都是自家製造的...哈哈哈！由呀公那代傳承給媽媽，呀姨。對外公的印象很模糊，只記得他煮食很棒，魚腸蒸蛋; 酸薑; 肥肥大大的蕎頭，很脆口。。細個放暑假便到呀婆屋企住，總有一樽樽的蕎頭吃。。口腔充滿口水了！

媽媽說呀公的秘方所做出來的酸梅不會太咸，時間醃漬愈長，味道更濃厚。常用於梅子鴨，梅子蒸排骨。。而我，好想煮梅子鵝掌...醃酸梅的秘訣就是一斤青梅對4両鹽...現代的氣候比從前差還是食材不夠天然，每每加上添加劑？？現今做的醃漬很易發霉，所以媽媽在處理的過程作一點改良。。就讓這第三代把醃酸梅的方法傳承下去...

材料: 青梅(微黄) 600g(1斤) 對150g(4兩)粗海鹽，白醋(清洗), 已消毒的玻璃樽
Ingredients: plums(slightly yellowish) 600g to 150g of coarse sea salt, rice vinegar(for rinsing), disinfected glass bottle

青梅的處理: 
1. 青梅，最好選些微黄或買回家後放一兩天。
2. 用水浸一陣清洗去蒂，之後可以 a/ 吹乾直接醃，方便但容易發霉。或b/ 洗淨後浸於白醋中一陣，用廚紙印乾，可吹乾一陣或直接醃。

Preparation of the plums:
1. Select mildly yellowish plum or keep them for 2 days before proceeding.
2. Soak them into water for a while, remove the stalk tip and wash it. Either a/ air dry then continue to proceed but easy to get mould or b/ soak into rice vinegar for a while after wash. Dry plums with paper towel then, air dry a while again.

入樽:
用木筷子把梅子入樽，把海鹽平均放上梅子，蓋上，不要扭實蓋。

Put the plums into a glass bottle by a pair of chopsticks. Evenly distribute with sea salt. Loosely cover the bottle, do not use air tight one.

曬太陽:
1. 曬過太陽的梅子份外香及助發酵。打開蓋，不定時置於陽光下曬一陣。開始時幾天一次，之後幾星期見有陽光便曬了。曬幾次後，蓋可扭實了。
2. 約幾個月便可用來煮食了。當然醃漬時愈長愈醇厚。

Under sunshine:
1. Leave plums under sunshine would enable the aroma and fermentation. Just open the lid and place whole bottle of plums under sunshine for a while. Start from every few days to every few weeks. Tight the lid after a few times of leaving the bottle under sunshine.
2. The plum may be used for cooking after 4 months but the longer it is fermented the better taste it is.

***有一點很重要: 鹽能完全溶解，浸住青梅，發霉機會很微,。
***Important note: If the salt is melted, all those plums are soaking in the salty water that there is very little chance to get mould.


那就好好享受自家醃酸梅的樂趣和烹調的菜式了。看過步驟一點也不困難，只是花心機之作。Enjoy!!


梅子鴨食譜