Jiasian's Chu-Yun Plum Extract
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Going up winding mountain trails that reveal beautiful scenery, the early spring sun shines down on lush leaves which hide little green plums. The plum farms that dot the slopes of Baiyun Mountain are among the organic plum orchards which have benefited from the guidance of Jiasian Farmers' Association. Verdant woodlands act as a buffer zone, preventing pesticides sprayed in other areas from contaminating these plum orchards, and thus contributing to a natural organic environment.
Ms. Liu Hsiu-chin, director of Jiasian Farmers' Association Green Plum Food Processing Factory, explains: "Growing organic plums is a way to differentiate ourselves in the market." In the past, few people knew that Kaohsiung's Jiasian District had close to 2,000 hectares of plum farms. In 2008, the farmers' association worked with the government to introduce the Chu-Yun brand, and set up a marketing program with the goal of developing plum-based health products. Starting from scratch, the association progressively entered organic farming, achieved product traceability certification and CAS certification, as well as organic farming certification, all of which guarantee that the products are fertilizer- and pesticide-free. Director Liu laughs and says that although organic green plums are smaller than those grown by conventional methods, their flesh is firmer. Currently, organic green plum orchards cover 11.19 hectares in Kaohsiung's Jiasian, Taoyuan and Namasia Districts.
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The skin of green plums is fuzzy, and the end of the fruits are pointed. Their skin is crisp and slightly bitter, while the entire fruit has a sour and astringent taste. Director Liu says that plums which have attained a degree of ripeness of five to six are most suitable for producing concentrated plum extract. The best time to harvest these green plums is from Mid-March to early April.
After this period, farmers harvest plums that have reached a degree of ripeness of at least seven or eight. The skin of these plums will have turned yellow. Because they have fully ripened, they are no longer suitable for turning into concentrated plum extract. Instead, they are used to make preserved plums.
After purchasing green plums from farmers, the association sends the fruits to a processing factory. There, machines are used to break the fruits down into paste, and the flesh of the fruit will be separated to extract plum juice. This juice will then be boiled for 72 consecutive hours, until highly concentrated plum extract is left. It takes 600kg of green plums to produce just 14kg of concentrated juice. The dark, shiny plum extract captures the essence of green plums and has been called the "black gold of Jiasian." Director Liu explains that the production method is entirely natural. The boiling process eliminates the bitterness of the fruit, she says, so the plum extract has a natural acidity and saltiness. Apart from drinking plum extract by diluting it with water, it can also be consumed neat or added to dishes.
Where to buy?
Jiasian Farmers' Association 07-6754123
甲仙 初雲梅精
【文／張嘉玲；攝影／鮑忠暉】
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順著蜿蜒的山中小徑向上走，便是一番好光景，初春的陽光灑晒而下，翠綠葉間藏著點點青梅。白雲山山坡上的青梅園，是甲仙地區農會所輔導栽種的有機梅園之一，以蓊蓊鬱鬱的樹林叢為隔離帶，阻絕附近地區因噴灑農藥擴及青梅園區的可能性，形成自成一格的天然有機環境。
「作有機梅，是想要作市場區隔。」甲仙農會青梅加工食品廠劉秀琴廠長說 ，過去罕少有人知悉甲仙地區就擁有近2000公頃左右的梅果栽種面積。民國97 年，甲仙地區農會與政府合作，引入「 初雲」的品牌名稱，以開發養生產品為目標，成立產銷班，從無到有，一步步踏入有機農業，陸續通過生產履歷、吉園圃認證，並通過有機轉型驗證，完全不施灑化肥及農藥。劉廠長笑著說，有機青梅個頭較小，但果肉結實。甲仙地區目前的有機梅園約有11.19公頃，分別散布於甲仙、桃源及那瑪夏等地區。
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青梅果皮略帶有細毛，青透的果實末端呈現突出狀，入口脆爽，卻沾滿苦、酸、澀等滋味。劉廠長說，成熟度達五至六分的青梅果肉最適宜加工製成濃縮梅精。每年3月中下旬到清明節前，是採收青梅最佳時節，清明節後，才會轉而採收成熟度達七八分以上，果皮已轉為黃、熟的梅果，由於黃熟梅果肉已不適宜濃縮，便用以製成脆梅等產品。農會收購青梅後，將新鮮的有機青梅運至加工廠以機器打成梅泥，並將果肉分離，萃取出梅汁，再將梅汁連續熬煮72小時，直至提煉出濃稠梅精，每600公斤青梅，最後僅僅剩下不到14公斤的濃縮汁液。黑到透亮的梅精，匯聚青梅精華，也被稱為甲仙黑金。劉廠長表示，以純天然方法製作的梅精，在加熱過程中，自然去其苦味，嘗起來帶有自然酸味、鹹味。濃縮梅精除加水稀釋外，亦可直接食用，或可入菜。
哪裡買?
甲仙地區農會 07-6754123
【完整內容請見《海洋首都高雄中英文雙月刊》第8期】
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