We studied the relationship between the type of salt used in the manufacture of pickled ume and the quality of the resulting product. When high-purity salt was used, the NaCl concentration in the pickled ume was higher. However, the citric acid content of the pickled ume did not vary with the type of salt. The breaking strength of the pickled ume was higher and the L value＊ of the dried ume was lower when low-purity salt was used. However, no difference in hardness was observed for those ume that had been sun-dried（dried ume）.
The perceived saltiness of dried ume increases with the NaCl concentration. A person's palatability for a particular dried ume was found to be closely correlated to the degree of saltiness, sourness and color. Thus, dried ume with different degrees of saltiness and color could be manufactured by using salts of different purities. Specifically, dried ume with optimum levels of saltiness or color can be made by using low-purity salt.
On the other hand, the effect of the citric acid content and breaking strength on the sourness and hardness of dried ume is minimal.Furthermore, the hardness of pickled ume was not found to be related to its palatability.