Jamaican June Plum Juice
The Jamaican June plum juice is one of my favourite fruit juices, and once you try this recipe, it will become yours too. June plum juice not only tastes great, but it is also very refreshing and full of nutritional benefits. The only downside is that the June plum is not always in season, but once it is, you only need 3 ingredients to make the drink.
June Plum
This fruit is called June plum in Jamaica, but it is also known as Jew Plum, Golden Apple or Kedondong in other countries. The June plum has an oval-like shape with green skin when unripe and golden yellow when ripe. The fruit can be eaten when it is green or ripe. When ripe, the June plum has a sweet, tangy taste with a hint of lime just under the skin. Like most fruits in Jamaica, the June plum is mostly eaten raw. It is also used to make June plum stew and jam, though these treats are not very common nowadays. The most common June plum recipe is the juice.
June Plum Drink
June plum juice is very simple. All you need is a few June plums and two other ingredients you may already have on hand – sugar and ginger. Back in the olden days, you would have to grate the june plum and ginger to make the drink. But these days, the use of a blander makes the process much easier and quicker.
You can use green June plums, ripe ones, or both to make the drink. There is also the option of peeling the June plums or not. Just keep in mind that the drink will be a bit more sour if you don’t peel the June plum.
If you are in Jamaica and come across a natural juice vendor, there is a high chance they will have June plum juice, as long as the fruit is in season. You can also get June plum juice in stores, as brands like Tru-Juice now make it commercially.
June plum juice ingredients
- June plum: You can use either green or ripe June plum to make the drink. If you use green June plums, the drink will be more tangy but richer in vitamins. The green June plum breaks apart from the seed much more easily than the ripe ones. I like using a mix of both ripe and green June plums when making the juice.
- Ginger: The ginger taste should be obvious in the June plum juice. So use a good-sized piece of ginger.
- Sugar: Sweeten the June plum drink to your liking. Even though the recipe says to use brown sugar, you can use whatever sweetener you prefer. I usually use honey, which is my preferred choice of sweetener.
How to make June plum juice
- Prepare the June plum: Wash the June plum and decide whether to make the drink with or without the fruit skin. Peel the June plums if you choose to make the drink without the skin, as I did. The next step and most difficult task is to core the June plums because the June plum flesh isn’t easily removed from the seed. The June plum fruit seed is fibrous and spiky, so be careful when separating the flesh.
- Prepare the ginger: Wash the ginger to remove any dirt. I am in Jamaica, so ginger is always packed with dirt. You can decide whether to peel the ginger; I often don’t. June plum juice calls for a good portion of ginger. Jamaican ginger has a more potent flavour than other varieties, so you may need to use more than I did if you are not using Jamaican ginger.
- Blend: Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do batches.
- Strain & serve: It’s better to use a cheesecloth over a sieve when straining the June plum drink. It makes the process easier. Put the June plum juice in the refrigerator or serve over ice.
More Drink Recipes To Try:
FAQ
This June plum drink not only tastes great but is also rich in vitamins C, A, and K. It is also rich in calcium, iron and is a great antioxidant. It has little to no fat or protein, so you don’t have to worry about weight when having June plum.
You can eat the June plum raw. This fruit is not soft, so I wouldn’t recommend biting into it if you’re having it for the first time. The June plum seed is also fibrous and spiky. These fibres will get stuck in your teeth if you have never eaten the June plum before. June plum is eaten green or ripe—Jamaicans like to sprinkle a bit of salt onto the green June plum when eating it. The ripe June plum is often juicy and is eaten as it is. We usually don’t eat the skin because it’s so sour.
Take your time.
Why make this drink
Whether you plan on making the June plum drink at home using this recipe or buying the remake in store, this fruit juice is a must-try. If you have access to the fruit when it is in season, you will get cloyed of eating too much, and one of the best things to do with the fruit is to make this refreshing drink, which you can never have too much of.
June plum juice tastes great and is rich in nutritional value, depending on how you sweeten it. The June plum and the ginger have many health benefits, and if you use the right sweetener, you have a refreshing, healthy fruit juice that tastes very good.
June Plum Juice Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Wash and peel the June plums (don't peel if you wish to try it with the skin).
- Separate the June plum seed (at the core).
- Wash and peel the ginger.
- Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth (You may have to do two separate batches).
- Then strain using a cheese cloth.
- Serve over ice
Nutrition
Notes
- I used medium-sized June plums for this recipe. The size of the June plums may affect the amount of water, ginger and sweetener needed.
- Also, you can use the sweetener of your choice. I used brown sugar.
- The amount of ginger used in the recipe is important. It calls for a good amount of ginger. The ginger flavour should be potent in the June plum drink.
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