Maesil Cherry Tomatoes. We were blown away when we tried it at a local dining bar here in Seoul. It was served as a simple, unassuming appetizer. But one bite and our eyes got real big. It was juicy - like a ripe grape - but the tomato had a sweet, tart and tangy flavor. It woke up our taste buds and our curiosity as well. After a few minutes of debating - I had to ask the chef how they made it - he smiled and said maesil!
This is a simple recipe - so I don't have any cooking notes to add. The only potential mistake would be blanching the tomatoes for too long. So count to exactly 10-seconds aloud - "One, One thousand... Two, One thousand..."
The other question that people ask is if they can re-use the maesil syrup? Yes you can. But make sure to sterilize your glass jars well before making the initial batch. After you finish the first batch, blanche more tomatoes and add them to the remaining maesil. My guess is that this can be done 2-3x - depending on how fast you eat each batch.
Enjoy neighbors - this is one of those must-try recipes! It'll have you saying 'wow' in korean, 와우!
P.S. If you would like to try one of Korea's best maesil, we recommend Hong Ssang Ri Maesil.
Ingredients
- 10-15 Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 cup of Maesil
- 3 slices of Lemon
- 2 sprigs of Rosemary
Instructions
Sterilize Jars
- Place two paper towels into the bottom of a pot. Then carefully place your mason jar upside down into the pot. Pour 1-2 inches of water in. Place on a high heat. When you start to see bubbles form on the bottom of the pot - reduce the heat to a low. Let the jar boil in the pot for 10 minutes. Afterwards, carefully grab the jar with a towel and place it right-side up on a wire-rack.
- Remove the paper towel from the pot. Then throw the lid into the water for 5 minutes. Remove and place on wire-rack.
Blanche tomatoes
- Give the cherry tomatoes a good rinse. Take off the stems. Use your knife and make a X mark at the bottom of each tomato. (Be careful not to cut into the flesh too much).
- Now cut 3 slices of fresh lemon. And set aside two sprigs of rosemary.
- Bring a pot of water up to boil. While you wait, fill a mixing bowl with (ice) cold water and set it aside. Once the pot is boiling, add-in the tomatoes. Then count to 10 seconds - aloud! Once 10 seconds hit, immediately take the tomatoes out and place into the cold water.
- Once its cooled, drain the water. Now turn on some music and peel the skin off each tomato 🙂
Ferment tomatoes
- Now, place each peeled tomato into the sterilized jar. Half-way in, add a few slices of lemon and rosemary. Then add the rest of the tomatoes and top-it off with the remaining lemon slice and rosemary. Fill the jar with maesil. Close the lid.
- Place in the refrigerator and allow it to ferment for 2 days. Serve chilled - bon appetit!
Corrinne says
What is the ml you used for the mason jar and how many ml of maesil did you add?
Sandra J Baldari says
I used basil instead of rosemary, as I didn't have any rosemary on hand, and the results are amazing.
D says
Hi! Can i sub dried rosemary (mc cormick) instead? How much should i use? Thanks!!!!
D says
Hi. If fresh rosemary's not available, will dried rosemary/italian seasoning (think mc cormick dried stuff) do? Thanks mucho!
Chlo says
What do you do with the Maesli? It’s not in the instructions. I’m assuming you Aden it not the jar once tomatoes are in?
Dan-yul says
Oops - just adjusted the post. Yes, just fill the jar with maesil after adding the ingredients.
wcp.amm says
This recipe looks delicious! I'm currently living in Japan, and I haven't got any maesil on hand. I'm wondering if you think umeshou, plum wine would be an adequate substitute! Thanks for your help.
Dan-yul says
Hi! Greetings from Korea 🙂 I can't recall the sweetness of umeshou. But if it is fairly sweet, I think it could work. Perhaps give it a try with a small batch. Otherwise, you can buy Korean Maesil via our store: https://gochujar.com/products/sigol-won-maesil-eck-plum-extract-liquid