SC - Re: crabapple verjus

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/10/00 8:11:12 PM Eastern Standard Time, ChannonM at aol.com 
writes:

<< That's a good idea. Do you think that this was a period method?>>

Letting it ferment? Since they had no way to preserve it, it would have 
fermented naturally in storage. Why not speed up the process? Somewhere in 
the dark corners of my still unorganized collection of facts and tidbits, I 
seem to recall that making verjuice involves a fermentation process anyway. 
Pressure canning is not period.

 <>

Fermentation results in alcohol production. However, the sugar content of 
crab apples is not very high so alcohol production is extremely low.

 <>

Possibly the acid content. Most certainly not the sugar content which is very 
low in crab apples and verjuice grapes.

<>

Most certainly, fresh verjuice would be unfermented but if left for a day or 
2 fermentation would naturally begin. I suspect the fermentation is more 
related to vinegar bacteria's than yeast's in such products.

The dictionary meaning suggests fresh juice but in the middle ages long term 
storage would preclude such an interpretation. I most certainly would use 
fresh juice if it were available. My method at least gives me a similar 
product which can be used in the off season. I will try your method of 
canning it without fermentation this year to see if I like the results better.

First appeared 14th Century

 1 : the sour juice of crab apples or of unripe fruit (as grapes or apples); 
also: an acid liquor made from verjuice
 
Ras