Verjuice

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Green harvest of grapes; Tacuinum Sanitatis (1474), Bibliothèque nationale de France

Verjus [ vɛʁ.'ʒy ] (from the Middle French vert jus 'green juice', medieval: Agrest ) is a sour juice that is produced by pressing unripe grapes . Verjuice is much milder than vinegar .

In the kitchens of the French Périgord , in parts of Turkey , Iran and neighboring countries, verjus is used as a condiment in everyday cooking for purposes that lemon juice or vinegar are used for in Germany . The juice was and is also traditionally viewed as a digestive aid and remedy .

history

The healing properties of verjuice were already known in Europe in ancient Greece. Already Hippocrates reported 400 v. About the use of verjuice in medicine. It was used as a digestive aid after eating high-fat foods and for treating ulcers. Verjus was probably known much earlier in Mesopotamia . In the Middle Ages and in the early modern period it was widely used in Europe as an acidifier and seasoning agent in the kitchen, as well as for deglazing when cooking. Verjuice was still used as a remedy in the 18th century, among other things because of its strengthening effect on the stomach. But it was also valued as a thirst quencher when mixed with water.

After the crusaders had brought the lemons to Europe and after the supraregional trade in lemons had started later, interest decreased until the verjuice in Europe finally sank into insignificance. In other parts of the world, such as Turkey, Iran and neighboring countries, the product has been used in everyday cuisine over the centuries. A world-famous product is the original Dijon mustard , which is made with verjuice instead of vinegar.

harvest

The grapes are harvested at a stage when they are not yet fully ripe. In the case of the green harvest required for verjuice production, it must be ensured that the prescribed waiting times are observed after the last application of plant protection products. Otherwise there may be considerable residues of spraying agent in the product. Furthermore, the time of the green harvest must be observed so that the verjuice has an optimal ratio of sweetness and acidity. The berries are best for making verjuice when they have just started juicing.

Manufacture (today)

The still unripe grapes are pressed after the harvest. Both white and red wine varieties are processed. After pressing, the juice is pasteurized for preservation and filtered to finish. Some producers prefer cold-sterile filling instead of pasteurization, from which they expect better preservation of the fruit aromas. This method has to be particularly hygienic and also very finely filtered.

properties

The result is a sour juice, free of preservatives and additives, which is used in modern kitchens instead of lemon juice or wine vinegar . The acidity is milder than that of vinegar, the aroma is more varied and finer than that of lemon juice. The intensity of the acid can vary considerably from product to product.

ingredients

The acids malic and tartaric are decisive for the fine, sour taste and the aromatic effect of the product . The total acidity of verjus is between 20 and 35 g / l. The acids make up about 70 percent by weight of the sugar-free extract; the remainder is mainly made up of minerals such as potassium , magnesium and calcium . Verjuice is also rich in polyphenols . The contents fluctuate between 200 and 1440 mg / l depending on the origin and the time of harvest. The high levels of these substances explain the astringent effect and the bitter-tart taste of the product. Since the grapes for verjuice production are harvested at a very early stage, the sugar content at this harvesting date is still very low. However, there are certainly products on the market that contain 20 g / l or more of sugar.

Weinrecht (Germany)

Verjus charges the manufacturer's processing wine quota . When buying grapes, a normal yield rate of 75% applies. However, if the verjuice is made from the company's own grapes, only the amount of green juice actually achieved is charged to the processing wine quota. Product-specific regulations do not yet exist, so Verjus is a " product of its own " according to food law and general food law regulations such as prepackaging , additive approval and food labeling regulations apply .

literature

  • Elmar M. Lorey : Praise for the sour grapes. Verjus - Agrest - Agresto. The spice from the vineyard in the history of culinary art. Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2017, ISBN 978-3-7431-8968-3 .
  • Martin Petras and Cécile Schwarzenbach: Verjus - taste of eternity . Weber Verlag, Thun / Gwatt 2013, ISBN 978-3-909532-99-5 .
  • Maggie Beer: Cooking with Verjuice. Grub Stree, London 2001, ISBN 1-902304-82-9 .
  • Bernard Lafon: Le Verjus du Périgord or "Le grand cuisinier". La Cuisine au Verjus du Moyen Âge à nos Jours. Éditions Alimenthus, Sadirac 2005. ISBN 2-9523757-0-4 .
  • Elmar M. Lorey : Agrest. Rediscovery of a condiment. In: German viticulture . Issue 25/26, 2007, pp. 14-18, online (PDF; 406 KB) .
  • M. Pour Nikfardjam, G. Röhrig, F. Lörcher: Tips on the production and marketing of verjuice. In: German viticulture . Issue 1, 2008, pp. 12-16.
  • Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, Silvano Serventi: The Medieval Kitchen. Recipes from France and Italy. University Of Chicago Press, Chicago IL et al. 2000, ISBN 0-226-70684-2 .
  • Johann Werfring: The diverse tastes of Verjus In: "Wiener Zeitung" of March 24, 2017, supplement "Wiener Journal", pp. 36–39.
  • Verjuice instead of wine. In: German viticulture . Issue 16, 2007.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Martin Pour Nikfardjam, Günther Röhrig, Friedrich Lörcher: Verjus - the old / new spice juice . in a brochure of the State Training and Research Institute for Fruit and Viticulture (LVWO) Weinsberg
  2. ↑ Article on greektexts.com
  3. ^ A b c Johann Werfring: The diverse tastes of Verjus In: "Wiener Zeitung" of March 24, 2017, supplement "Wiener Journal", pp. 36–39.
  4. ↑ Karin Schuh: Verjus: The green juice of the grapes In: "Die Presse", print edition of August 24, 2014.