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Ingredients
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Main Drink
Garnish & Optional Flavors
Method
Prepare Plum Concentrate
Rinse and Pit
Rinse the dried salted plums briefly under cold running water to remove surface dust. Pat dry with a paper towel. Using the tip of a small knife or your fingers, remove and discard any loose stems. If plums have large pits, split a plum and remove the pit from 4 of the plums to reduce bitterness (optional).
Simmer Plums
Place all 8 plums in a medium saucepan with 2 cups of the water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 12–15 minutes, smashing the plums gently with the back of a spoon every few minutes to release flesh and flavor.
Sweeten and Steep
Add the rock sugar and granulated sugar to the saucepan, stirring until mostly dissolved. Continue to simmer 3–5 minutes until the sugars are fully incorporated and the liquid is slightly syrupy. Turn off the heat and let the plum mixture steep for 10 minutes to develop flavor.
Strain Concentrate
Place a fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl or pitcher. Pour the plum mixture through the strainer, pressing solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids (or reserve a spoonful as a textured topping). You should have roughly 1 to 1 1/2 cups of plum concentrate.
Assemble Drink
Mix Base
In a mixing pitcher, combine the remaining 4 cups of cold water with the warm (now cooled slightly) plum concentrate. Stir in fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding additional granulated sugar or rock sugar dissolved in a little warm water, if desired.
Chill and Serve
Fill serving glasses with ice cubes (about 1/2 cup ice per glass). Pour the plum drink over ice, dividing evenly. If you prefer a sparkling version, top each glass with a splash of club soda (about 1/4 cup per glass) and gently stir once.
Garnish
Garnish each glass with 2 fresh mint leaves and a slice of lemon or lime on the rim. Optionally float a halved preserved plum or 1 teaspoon of the reserved plum solids on top for extra texture.
Storage
Store any leftover plum concentrate in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Dilute with cold water or soda to serve later; adjust lime and sugar as needed.