Green Grape Juice

[Craig Camp]

Fall is in the air and the "crush" is already under way in the wine country. With all the excitement over the wine, verjus, a delicious byproduct of the wine-making process, often is overlooked.

[Wolfert]

I, too, am a big fan of verjus. Once you've tried food preparation with unripe grape juice or verjus, you are probably going to want to incorporate it into much of your cooking. Because verjus, unlike vinegar, won't ruin your palette for wine, it makes a wonderful alternative to vinegar for use in salads. And because of its lovely, gentle, fruity tart flavor it's able to coax out flavors from hearty peppers as well as delicate green leaves.

In the Mediterranean, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean wherever grapes are grown, unripe grape juice replaces the winter standby, lemon juice, in salads, summer stews, stuffed vegettables and even tabooli style salads.

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To make verjus: use the most sour seedless green grapes you can find, usually available in supermarkets. Simply crush, strain, let the juice settle, then ladle from the top and strain again. Use at once.

To store: Place the strained juice in a saucepan, add a little water and bring to a boil. (This kills any yeasts.) Store the juice in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks. Use as needed, or freeze.

For a refreshing drink: Dilute 1/4 cup verjus with l cup sparkling water and some ice cubes. You may also add a scented geranium leaf (if you can find one) as they do in Turkey.

If your grapes are not sufficiently sour, you know what to do with them---simply serve them for dessert!