Sunshine Coast Hinterland Times

Colin James

Verjuice and Must – 2 versatile ingredients!

Down through the centuries grapes have been used to make many products and little is wasted when this fruit is picked. 
Must is freshly pressed fruit juice that contains the skins, seeds and stems of the fruit. Usually made from grapes the name “Must” comes from the Latin vinum mustum meaning young wine.  Grape Must is also used in making traditional balsamic vinegar.  Commonly Used in Balkan and Middle Eastern cookery as a syrup or as the basis of confections it can be used as a sweetener in a variety of cuisines.
Verjuice is the acidic juice made by pressing unripe fruit.  Primarily grapes are used but Verjuice can be made from crab apples, unripe plums or gooseberries.  Sometimes lemon, sorrel juice, herbs or spices are added to change the flavour.
Deriving its name from the French “vert” (green) and “jus” (juice), this product can be traced back to Medieval Times when it had important culinary, practical and medicinal uses.   It probably originated when vignerons thinned out the grapes to strengthen the vines and produce full flavoured fruit.  Not wanting to waste the unripe, pruned grapes they pressed the grapes and made verjuice.  The Spaniards, in the Middle Ages, made it from oranges which were more tart and bitter than the oranges we have today.
Used as the acidic ingredient in salad dressings, Verjuice is substituted for vinegar or lemon.  When wine is served with a salad, Verjuice provides a comparable sour taste the way vinegar and lemon juice sometimes can.  Verjuice is delicious drizzled over oysters, grilled fish or barbequed baby octopus, as a marinade, substituted for balsamic vinegar when caramelizing onions or added to dishes to reduce the richness of sauces or meat dishes, especially pork.  Substituted for wine or brandy it is excellent for deglazing pans after cooking fish or meats and creates a tangy sauce from the reduced juices.  Use to poach fresh fruit, soak dried fruit in it before use, reduce  and use as a topping over Colin James ice cream or mix with soda or tonic for a zesty cordial.
PS…. Order your Valentine Ice cream cake now!   New gelati flavour for Valentine’s Day… Chocolate, Rose Water

Colin James Fine Foods 37 Maple St Maleny Ph: 5494 2860