[Sca-Cooks] Verjus question

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

Pixel, Goddess and Queen wrote:

>For that matter, do we have any mention of verjus fermenting? I imagine 
>that it would stay sour regardless of alcohol content, and given what my 
>schedule has been like I also imagine that I'll be able to give a report 
>on what fermented verjus is like in a couple of months. ;-)
>
>Margaret
>  
>
Gabriel Alonso de Herrera, in his agricultural manual (1551 edition) 
discusses "How to Preserve Verjus".  I won't take the time to translate 
the whole passage, but here's the gist of it:

Takeunripe grapes when they are plump (but before they ripen).  Grind 
them in a stone mortar.  Add some salt, and leave it in the sun for two 
or three days.  Put the juice in vessel of glass or glazed 
earthenware,and  cover it.  Don't add any more salt than is needed to 
preserve the verjus.

If anyone wants to look at the original, go to:
http://alfama.sim.ucm.es/dioscorides/consulta_libro.asp?ref=X533701960
and look at images 101 and 102.

I know that in baking, salt retards the growth of yeast; perhaps 
something similar is happening here?

-- 

Brighid ni Chiarain
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
Robin Carroll-Mann *** rcmann4 at earthlink.net