Aka Shiso Juice (Red Perilla Juice)

To Make Aka Shiso Syrup

1. Gather all the ingredients. Today I used ¾ of the recipe shown above based on what I could harvest from the yard. Here I use 75 g (2.6 oz) red shiso leaves, 150 g (¾ cup) sugar, 90 ml (⅜ cup) apple cider vinegar, and 720 ml (3 cups) water.
2. Rinse the shiso leaves under cold running water.
3. On a medium-high heat, bring the measured water in a medium pot to a boil.
4. Once boiling, add the shiso leaves and let them submerged in the water.
5. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
6. The cooking liquid will start turning darker purple while the leaves turn green.
7. Once you're done cooking, turn off the heat and reserve the cooking liquid. Drain the shiso leaves by either scooping them up into a sieve (as shown in the picture) or drain into a sieve over a bowl.
8. Press and squeeze the leaves with a wooden spoon or metal ladle (something hard) to get the additional cooking liquid from the leaves. No wasting!
9. Turn the heat back on, add sugar, and let it dissolved completely.
10. Add apple cider vinegar. Turn off the heat and let cool.
11. Meanwhile, sterilize the jar, or wash the jar really well and wipe with alcohol (I used shochu).
12. Pour the cooled syrup into the sterilized jar.

To Store the Syrup

1. If you don't change the amount of sugar, it should be kept well in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 6-12 months. Always use a clean utensil to scoop up the juice.

To Make Aka Shiso Juice

1. Mix the syrup and water/sparkling water roughly 1:1 or 1:2 or to your liking.

To Make Yukari Rice Seasoning

1. Add apple cider vinegar to the reserved shiso leaves. You can also use umezu (red plum vinegar) from making umeboshi, if you have any (I have it so I used it in this recipe). Gently loosen the leaves.
2. Spread the leaves as much as you can and place it on a wire rack lined with the baking sheet.
3. I used the dehydrator mode (140ºF/60ºC) in my oven to let the leaves dry for 2 hours. You can also dry in the breezy air outside (I recommend this drying rack net).
4. Put the dried shiso leaves in the food processor and process it until powdered.
5. Put in a container and add salt to your liking. Sprinkle yukari rice seasoning over the steamed rice and make rice balls with it. Enjoy!

To Store the Yukari

1. You can keep in an airtight container and store in a cool dark place for up to a year.