Verjuice

Dodie wrote from the US asking about Verjuice, so here goes... 

The word verjuice derives from the French ‘vert jus’ or ‘verjus’ and literally means, “green juice”.  It is the unfermented juice of semi-ripe grapes from the green-harvested thinnings of premium red and white noble grape varieties.  (The bunches are thinned out to encourage maximum quality and size - of both the bunch and the berry - for those left on the vine.)  These trimmings are high in acid and low in sugar and can often account for up to 50% of the total crop which is usually discarded.  In other words, it is the juice that comes from pressing unripe grapes.  This zesty juice then gets a life of its own and is enjoyed as an elegant, delicate culinary condiment for a range of dishes as wide as the inventive chef’s imagination.

Verjuice is a Medieval condiment, called husroum in Arabic, that is still used extensively in Syrian cuisine.  In the Middle Agesit was widely used all over Western Europe as an ingredient in sauces, as a condiment, or to deglaze preparations. The art of producing and using verjuice was lost during the Middle Ages when the Crusades introduced lemons to France and other Mediterranean fruit and wine producing countries. 

Today verjuice is the acidulant in Dijon mustard, in fact, it has been since 1856!  It resulted in a mustard that was less acidic.  This delicate acidic liquid can also be used in place of vinegar or lemon juice, and can be used in larger quantities. Verjuice heightens flavours of fish, chicken, game, red meat, vegetables and fruits, and can be used in vinaigrettes, dressings, sauces, and even gravies.  Because it shares the same acid base as wine, verjuice will not distort the essence of wine, the way vinegar or lemon juice would.   It combines particularly well with walnut and hazelnut oils and emulsifies superbly with olive oil.  What's more, it is also delicious as a healthy cordial, diluted with still or sparkling water, neat as an aperitif sloshed over crushed ice or, as a mixer for cocktails and sours.

After opening, verjuice must be refrigerated and will keep for up to three months depending on fridge temperature.

References:
Larousse Gastronomique
The Verjuice Company in South Africa
Wikipedia

And now, click here to read my latest newsletter - it contains a yummy salad dressing recipe containing verjuice...

I hope this answers your questions, Dodie! 

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