Magical Ume

The umeboshi is truly a miracle of nature. Much has been said and
written about this little pickled, pink, shrivelled little plum
(botanically actually an apricot). It truly is a merging of extreme
energies - the very yin plum and the very yang salty medium in which it
is pickled. It has remarkable healing properties with intense
antiseptic and digestive rebalancing effects. It also has a profound
impact on the quality of the blood. It has rescued many people from
intense, acute or chronic digestive difficulties.

There are many forms of ume.

• The pickled plum which is a wonderful ingredient in rice
  balls (and keeps a rice ball wrapped in nori seavegetable fresh for
  days when travelling. It is also a reputed "cure" for motion sickness.
  Of course one can consume it for this purpose but for this purpose a
  folk remedy is to tape a whole umeboshi to your navel. The umeboshi is
  very salty and concentrated. For consumption only a small amount - the
  size of a dried soy bean is recommended at one time.

• Ume paste is a convenient and indispensible ingredient in cooking.
  Great for nori rolls, on corn on the cob and in dips and salad
  dressings. It gives a wonderful tang to dishes.

• Ume vinegar is also wonderful in salad dressings, stir fries,
  sauces. It is not actually a true vinegar but the brine that is formed
  when umeboshi is pickled.

• Umeboshi concentrate is a highly concentrated syrup made by
  boiling down umeboshi. No salt is used. Only a very small amount is
  used. Usually one dips the end of a chopstick into the small jar and
  puts it in hot bancha tea. It alkalizes the blood and relaxes the
  intestines. It is best consumed about  20-30 minutes before a meal.

• Umeboshi balls are tiny balls of umeboshi concentrate, often
  mixed with jinjenjo mountain yam, a very strengthening herb in itself.
  These are indispensible to have on hand. They help with nausea,
  stimulate healthy digestive function and alkalize the blood. I have
  recently had great feedback on the appetite stimulating effects in a
  person whose appetite was wiped out from the side effects of medical
  treatment. He is now another ume fan!

this is a great explaination of the healing properties of the amazing properties of ume
http://home.iae.nl/users/lightnet/paramahamsa/umeboshi.htm