[Sca-cooks] Re: Re: grapes for verjuice

[she not]

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What little I know about  viniculture includes thinning for max production of many varieties..I believe verjuice was made from those cullings, from grapes still unripe at harvest, and from grapes hit by early frost (unless they were ripe enough for ice wine, which is delicious, btw.) That's 3 separate times when verjuice might be made, also keep in mind that processing ripe grapes would have priority,  and the unripe ones might be stored or hung, as for drying(which would tend to concentrate or increase their sweetness, as in raisins). they would keep for several weeks at least in cooler fall weather, which gives you a longer time frame for making verjuices . 

natural fermentation might also occur, especially if the product was stored in used wine barrels. Very likely it was stored for at least part of the winter- I've seen several references in letters and remedies to common cravings for sour things in winter, (prob vitamin c deficiency) especially in reference to pregnant women.

 I have  seen one reference to making a sort of verjuice wine, as a primary source quoted/translated in a modern text- I think in Auvergne and provence, in conjunction with other staple food stuffs for the poorer classes such as chestnuts and wine made from squeezings and skins-byproducts of the commercial production. If boiling water, old wine, or vinegar were poured over those, the product might last longer.  And of course, in winter (or cellar storage) refrigeration is not a problem. If the product does spoil, it might still be possible to skim and boil it for continued use.

gisele


> What I'll probably try, is tasting a grape once a week, until they seem
> to have sufficient juice but are still tart.

 I don't know if the grapes are going to get 
more or less tart or stay the same after they are processed.
 I'm not exactly sure how to preserve it once it's made--put it in bottles and freeze it, maybe. It'd be nice to have for general recipes, but I've also got some
> mustardy uses in mind. ;o)

 Perhaps the fact that it is sour keeps it from going bad? Or does 
it actually ferment enough that the alcohol acts as a preservative? So, 
perhaps if it is made correctly you don't have to worry about doing 
something special to preserve it.





"all men are intrinsical rascals, and I am only sorry that not being a dog I can't bite them."   Lord Byron
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