We are open 8-8 every day for in-person shopping at 901 Bancroft Way in Berkeley. Come on in!
Or order online here! Choose to pick up (free) or have your groceries delivered ($11.99 flat delivery fee within a 5 mile radius).
*Stock quantities are close, but not always accurate. We'll automatically refund any items that are out of stock.
EDEN Ume Plum Vinegar is the treasured by-product of the pickling of umeboshi plums; the liquid brine left over after pickling the plums. In Japan it is known as 'ume su' that means plum vinegar. This salty, tangy, ruby red vinegar is delicious sprinkled over cooked vegetables (especially members of the cabbage family). It adds zing to salad dressings and dips, and is great for making other pickled or preserved foods. When substituting ume plum vinegar for other vinegar, reduce substantially or eliminate the salt in the recipe.
In mid June green unripe ume plums Prunus mume reach peak acidity. They are harvested, washed, soaked in cold water for about 24 hours to remove bitterness, then placed in kegs with alternating layers of sea salt. A flat lid is fitted on top and weighted down with heavy stones. The combination of salt and pressure squeeze the juice out of the plums. The plums naturally ferment for about a month, are removed from their kegs, placed outside and sun dried for about four days. Shiso leaves Perilla frutescens known in English as 'beefsteak leaf,' are added to the pickling liquid turning it deep red. The plums are placed back in the kegs, left in the pickling juice for four to five days, removed from the liquid and placed in kegs where they are aged for one year or more. The remaining red liquid or pickling brine is EDEN Ume Plum Vinegar. The liquid is drained, lightly filtered and bottled in amber glass to preserve nutrients, flavor, and color.
EDEN Ume Plum Vinegar is rich in organic acids. It has 4.3 percent acidity. While the natural red color of EDEN Ume Plum Vinegar is due to the red shiso leaves, commercial manufacturers of umeboshi plums and vinegar use chemical dyes to impart the red color that is characteristic of these products. EDEN Ume Plum Vinegar contains no chemicals, dyes, preservatives or additives.
Asia has a long history and rich tradition of drying, salting, fermenting, and pickling vegetable foods in order to preserve them for use during times of scarcity and as a convenient source of valuable nutrients. Umeboshi, also known as the Asian plum or apricot Prunus triflora or P. mume is one of these traditionally preserved foods. Umeboshi plums have been used for over 2,000 years in China and over 1,000 years in Japan. They were especially valued for their ability to strengthen digestion. Umeboshi were traditionally used to stimulate appetite, help the body maintain the proper acid/alkaline balance, and restore energy.
Q: Can you deliver my order?
A: Yes! We are now partnering with DoorDash Drive to offer a $11.99 flat fee delivery option within a 5 mile radius. Franklin Bros. Market staff will shop and pack your order. We pass along your delivery information (name, address and phone number) to DoorDash for delivery. Pricing is 100% transparent: $9.99 goes to DoorDash for their service, $2.00 goes to CA regulatory fees. We request the delivery from DoorDash as soon as we are finished packing it. Orders placed after 6:00 pm may not be delivered until the next day. If you would like to leave part or all of your tip to the driver, let us know in the comments and we will pass it along!
Q: Are you going to keep the online store open now that you’re open for in-person shopping?
A: Yes. We are going to keep the online store open as long as customers still want to use it. Online ordering has become a favorite shopping option for some of our most loyal customers. We’re happy to keep it going for you!
Q: When will my order be ready?
A: We fill orders as soon as we can, in the order that they are received. We are also helping in-store shoppers, so order fulfillment may take longer than it did when we were filling online orders only. We will send you an email as soon as your order is ready to pick up. Please wait until you receive this email before you come to pick up your order.
Q: When will "sold out" items be available?
A: We receive grocery deliveries 5 days / week (and fresh Acme Bread 7 days / week). We update the website with new items every day. Some high demand items are not always available from our suppliers in the quantities that we order. Please know we are doing our best to keep popular products in stock and available for you!
Q: Is everything in the store also available online?
There may be more items available in the store than online. Deliveries are stocked on the shelves before they are updated online. Items that are sold by weight (a few produce items) are also available in the store only. Thanks for your understanding.
Q: Do you have an order cut-off time?
A: We fill orders as quickly as possible, in the order that they are received. Typically, orders placed by 5:00 PM will be available for pickup before 6:00 PM. Orders placed after 5:00 PM may not be available until 10:00 AM the next day. We will send you an email as soon as your order is ready to pick up.
Q: How can I add something to an order that I've already placed?
A: The best thing to do is to make a new order and leave a comment to combine it with your previous order during the checkout process. Please include the order number of the order it's being combined with.
Q: Something I ordered was unavailable. When will I see my refund?
A: We process refunds within 3 business days. Our credit card processor says it may take 5-10 days for a refund to appear on the customer’s statement. Thanks so much for your patience!
Q: There’s a delightful product you don’t carry, can I make a request?
A: Absolutely! Many of our most popular items were customer requests. We want to carry what you want to buy. You can email us at info@franklinbrosmarket.com or leave a note in the comment section of your order.
Q: How can I pay for my order?
A: It's easiest for us if you pay with your Credit or Debit Card on the website when you checkout (and you must pay through the website if you choose to have your order delivered). You can also pay with your EBT Card, Credit Card, Debit Card or cash in person if you are picking up your order. Just select your preferred payment method when you check out.