Shiso no mi no shiozuke (aojiso) / salted green perilla fruits

Salted perilla fruits are a flavorful condiment. They are great to eat with steamed rice, onigiri rice balls, hiyayakko tofu, pickle-type vegetable salads, etc. The following is the two-step preparation process that preserves the green color.

<Ingredients>

Shiso no mi perilla fruits (46 g in photo)
Salt, 5-10% of perilla fruits' weight, for 1st step (2.3-4.6 g; approx. 1-1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt in photo)
Salt, 20% of perilla fruits' weight, for 2nd step (9.2 g; approx. 1 tbsp of kosher salt in photo)


<Directions>
1.

Harvest perilla fruits, ideally when a few flowers are still in bloom at the top of the plant.
When fruits are totally ripe and there are no flowers at the top, they can be too tough.

Rinse well, and collect fruits (or first collect fruits then rinse well).
Weigh fruits after squeezing out excess water (or before rinsing), and figure out the amount of salt you need.

2.

Place perilla fruits in a bowl, sprinkle salt for 1st step, and rub into fruits until brownish water comes out.

Squeeze out excess water, and place fruits in a strainer that fits in a pot.

3.

Bring plenty of water to boil, and blanch perilla fruits in strainer for 10-15 seconds.

Immediately transfer to ice water to stop cooking process.

4.

Soak in water, changing it from time to time, for 30-60 minutes.

5.

Squeeze out excess water from perilla fruits, and place them in a container.

Sprinkle salt for 2nd step, and mix well.

6.

Cover with plastic film, place weight, and refrigerate.  

7.

(3 days later)

Soak in water to achieve desired saltiness before use.

<Notes>

• If maintaining the green color is not a concern, you can skip blanching. Salting and blanching (some people simply blanch perilla fruits in salted water) ensures the green color is retained.
• Salted perilla fruits can be kept in the fridge or freezer.
• If keeping in a cool location other than the fridge, top with more salt before sealing the container.