Verjus

Submitted by Mme M

"Verjus is the juice of green grapes that are near ripe! At harvest time, August and September in the northern hemisphere, green grape bunches are quickly snipped for the wine press. Selecting through the collected bunches, only the ripe grapes are chosen for wine. The rejects that are not selected because they are under-ripe are utilised to make verjus, which is a fruity, somewhat vinegary juice, perfect for sauces. Verjus has a distinct flavor. You can choose to snip under-ripe grapes with the express desire to make verjus, and the effort is worth it. You will find recipes for chicken, fish and pork cooked with verjus. Verjuice, by contrast, can be made up from a variety of fruits. Verjus is made only from green grapes."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 2
• Serves: 2-40

ingredients

• 2 bunches green grapes, minimum
• 1 bunch grapes

directions

1. Use at least 3 bunches of under ripe grapes. You could make bushel fulls, too!
2. Press the juice out of the grapes, using your fingers, or by crushing the bunches with bricks, or by using a wine press.
3. A wine press is a small barrell with a weighted lid on a substantial screw that winds down, down, down on the grapes. The liquid pours out of a spigot low on the barrel.
4. Strain and filter the juice, discarding the skins and seeds. Strain with muslin, a jelly bag, coffee filters, anything that will work to produce a clear liquid.
5. If you make a small quantity, use within 4 or 5 days. A larger quantity should be bottled and sterilized, or put in jars and sterilized.
6. The formatting of this recipe required me to give a minimum 2 ingredients, so I entered bunches of grapes twice!