[Sca-cooks] sour grape juice vs. verjus?

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

On Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 11:50 PM, David Walddon <david at vastrepast.com> wrote:
> Hmm I don't have De Honesta at hand (I am out of the country) but I think
> there might be instructions on making wine based verjuice

Wine-based?  Or grape-based (versus apple-based)?  Sour wine is vinegar.
Verjus is the juice of unripened grapes.

The Obra de Agricultura by Gabriel Alonso de Herrera (16th c. Spanish
agricultural manual) has a short chapter on preserving verjus (agraz).
 He says to take the grapes when they are big and sour, before they
begin to ripen.  Crush them in a stone mortar, add a little salt, and
leave them in the sun for 2 or 3 days.  Store the juice in a glass or
glazed vessel.  Herrera says that some people don't add salt, but salt
preserves the verjus better.  Some people add a little oil for the
same purpose.

Herrera says that verjus is better tasting and healthier than vinegar.
 What I find amusing is that he says that it's useful in regions where
oranges don't grow or are hard to obtain -- bitter orange juice being
one of the most popular sour ingredients in late-period Spain.

Brighid ni Chiarain