June Plum Juice

Learn how to make this refreshing sweet Caribbean style June Plum juice (aka Golden Apple/ Pommecythere) with fresh ginger and an optional hint of pineapple juice.

Here is another one of my favourite drinks that I am happy to share with you all. It's delicious and depending on the ripeness the level of tanginess will vary.

What is a June plum?

June plum also known as Jew Plum, Ambarella, Golden Apple, Hog Plum, Pommecythere and so fourth.

This small-medium sized oval fruit is native to south east Asia and the south pacific was first introduced to the Caribbean islands during the 18th century.

The skin of a June plum is tough/thick, with a spiky core with flat seeds. When unripened it is green in appearance. At this stage you will find the fruit is more tangy in taste.

As the fruit matures, the outer skin softens and turns yellow with the flesh ranging from a pale yellow to white in appearance.

You can eat June Plum at any stage of its maturity and in terms of the taste, I would say it reminds me of a very tangy pineapple.

I personally only use June plums to make juice, I find them too tangy to eat them neat but hey each to their own, they make such amazing fruit juice.

Ways of using them

Like most fruit, these plums are incredibly versatile, you can eat them neat as a snack, serve them as an appetizer or even cook with them.

Trinidadians are partial to making chow with them. A pickled fruit snacked made with peppers, herb and spices.

You can add them to smoothie, make juice or even cook with i.e roast them, add them to a stew or to simply compliment a meat dish and so on.

Cutting the fruit

I grew up cutting/peeling the this fruit in true Caribbean style (fruit in one hand, knife in the other) without the use of a chopping board.

However, for the sake of teaching my readers the correct/safe way of doing this. You will see in the pictures that I used a chopping board for most of the cutting process (excluded peeling it, you can use a vegetable peeler instead).

You don't have to peel the skin off, I only did this simply because my Junies developed a lot of dark spots.

You will find it much easier to chop around the core rather then trying to chop right through it.

Then chop the fruit into small enough pieces (don't worry about those woody bits, they will breakdown in your blender).

The steps - making the juice

• Pour the water, chopped June plum and ginger into the blender (you may need to work in batches).
• Blitz into a smooth consistency.
• Use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth the strain off the juice into a large jug or pitcher (I prefer to use a cheesecloth to get most of the juice extracted).
• Stir in your chosen sweetener and sweeten to taste.
• Finally top the juice up with some pineapple juice (if you are adding any).

Notes and tips

• This batch makes roughly 6 glasses.
• June plums are seasonal fruit you will find them more accessible late summer September to mid January.
• Store any leftover juice in the refrigerator and drink within a few days.
• June Plum is also known as Golden Apple or Pommecythere by other Caribbean islands.
• You don't have to remove the skin (it boosts extra fibre) BUT...be sure to cut out any dark spots.
• If you want to detox with the juice, then simply omit using any sweetener.
• If you live in the diaspora, June plum are widely available in neighbourhoods or markets that are frequented by Caribbean/Asian/Latinos.
• I used unrefined maple syrup which is a low glycemic index slow releasing sweetener. However you may want to use coconut sugar, agave nectar or even raw cane sugar.
• The amount of sweetener needed will vary, depending on if the plums are green (more tart/tangy) yellow less tangy.
• For best results, I recommend using, half hot water and half cold water as this will help to pulverise the fruit better. 
• Depending on the size of your blender (I used a tall vitamix) you may need to make the juice in batches.
• The addition of pineapple juice is optional, you can also add another sweet fruit juice like mango, guava or passion fruit.

Other Caribbean juice/drink recipes

• Jamaican Ginger Beer
• Guinep Juice
• Jamaican Lemonade
• Beetroot Punch
• Mauby Drink
• Chayote Water
• Peanut Punch
• Aloe Vera Juice

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