SC - Vinegar/verjuice

[Robin Hackett]

Ceridwen,
  Vincenzio wrote:

>One of my cookbooks "Renaissance Recipes (Painters and Food)" by
>Gillian Riley, pub: Pomegranate Artbooks, ISBN: 1-56640-577-7 ,
>96 pages, hbk.  gives some information on verjuice and several recipes
>use it.
>
>[Partial quote] Verjuice: in Italian cooking is, in its simplest
>form, the juice of sour green grapes, used as a condiment or cooking
>medium.  It can be boiled and fermented, and used throughout the
>year.  The equivalent in English cookery ... sour gooseberries, plums,
>or acidic herbs such as sorrel.  ...
>

This is the definition we used to make our own. Emerson has this grape vine
he won't let me chop down in the yard (he wants to make a trellis complete
with statuary, but thats another topic!:)) that produced all of two bunches
of grapes last year. So I got to experiment with them! We simmered the
unripe grapes (test by tasting...very tart!) with a little water to prevent
sticking or burning. Simmered long enough to burst the grapes. Then
strained them through a cheesecloth lined strainer into a bowl, overnight.
Don't press the grapes, you want the verjuice to be as clear as possible.
We used it fresh so didn't go to any lengths to ferment it.

Leri

P.S. Vincenzio, our cooking class is trying out that chicken with verjuice
recipe this month! :)

robin.hackett at wadsworth.org