Has anyone made verjus ?

Hello all. Been gone caring for aging parents but back in Wisconsin now finding that the racoons are after the ripening grapes. They eviscerate the pulp and leave the seeds and skin under the arbor on the patio. A bloody mess ! I need to harvest them now before they are all ripe and thought I would try to make verjus so as not to waste them. Does anyone have any tips beyond what I see online which is quite varied ?

I don't even know what verjus is.

-Paul W.

Juice of unripe grapes. Used as a vinegar substitute because it is tart but not in the same way and brings fruit flavor.

There used to be a Verjus Lady on this board, a thousand years ago. I'll have to look up her name later (...on the other computer).

Hello all. Been gone caring for aging parents but back in Wisconsin now finding that the racoons are after the ripening grapes. They eviscerate the pulp and leave the seeds and skin under the arbor on the patio. A bloody mess ! I need to harvest them now before they are all ripe and thought I would try to make verjus so as not to waste them. Does anyone have any tips beyond what I see online which is quite varied ?

No, I never had the desire to make verjus. The juice isn't worth the squeeze. It's like making butter. I can do it and have done it, but in the end I would rather just buy Kerry Gold or some other good brand of butter.

There are some California (and other) wineries that will sell verjus. I was tempted to order some once but that was during the MASS ban on direct shipment of wine. I didn't think I could explain what verjus was to a UPS/FEDEX/USPS employee.

There used to be a Verjus Lady on this board, a thousand years ago. I'll have to look up her name later (...on the other computer).

Linda Stradley of https://whatscookingamerica.net/info.htm

[Jenise]

Jeff, good digging. She was one of the early recipe index creators on the internet and came here as a friend of Karen of Redding. A very accomplished cook in a Joy of Cooking kind of way but fairly firm in her opinions. (You want to bake a potato? Poke it 8 times. No, not three or seven. EIGHT. Why eight? Because she always poked hers 8 times and they'd never blown up, so EIGHT must be right. Obviously, we did not come to an agreement about this. )

But never mind that: CHRISTINA, IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU!!!!!!

[Robin Garr]

But never mind that: CHRISTINA, IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU!!!!!!

YAAASSSSS! So good that you're back, Christina. I hope you're getting along well in these wacky times.

Might be more effective harvesting the coons instead, but that's a losing battle.

I'd urge you to try making verjus just for fun and so you'd be able to tell us about the process!

Last summer my husband HaveAHeart trapped 5 racoons and dropped them off in a field out of town. Maybe it was really only the same one trapped 5 times but they made a mess and actually bent the wires of the cage trying to escape. I was determined not to sweep and wash the patio every morning for weeks this summer. SOoooo what I did....when the grapes were just a bit soft to the touch and there were some eviscerated skins and seeds on the ground but still mostly hard I harvested ALL, stemmed, washed, drained and then mashed with a heavy, flat headed meat tenderizer to break the skins. Then i squeezed the hell out of the mash until the pulp liquified. After that I put them in a mesh sieve and pressed some more. All sources said not to grind the seeds for fear of bitterness. The next step was straining in a bag that I use otherwise for making elderflower cordial. Are you tired yet ???? Just a heck of a lot of work. Quite tart but retaining some grape - ness. Not assertive at all. Although said to be good anywhere vinegar or citrus juice is used, mine just didn't have enough punch. It was well paired as a baste for lamb kofte skewered with grapes where the acid balanced the fat and intensified the grape. A riff on Mourad's Moroccan recipe. I have given most away to adventurous friends and kept a half pint for more experimentation. All in all so far seems not worth the culinary effort, reserving the option to be amazed at a serendipitous mistake with the remains. Definitely worth sparing the marurading racoon mess but next year I'll get the neighborhood kids to pick and take home to their Mom !
Thanks for the warm greetings on return. I have a lot to catch up on here but it is so enjoyable. I've been pretty much off line caregiving but cooking, continuing to be stimulated by the creativity of making do with pantry items, freezer raids and reincarnating leftovers. Yeast shortage engendered sourdough baking when flour supplies returned. Fortunately, I had a good supply of rye and durum in the meantime.
Best wishes to all.

[Jenise]

Christina, my sympathies on the caregiving. Bob and I both lost our parents before that kind of duty became necessary, but I did go thru it with a grandmother and I've seen many friends go through worse with their immediate parents so I have some understanding of how painful and harrowing that can be.

I like your use of the word 'stimulating'. It has been the case here, too, trying to keep life interesting while avoiding going to a store unless last-resort necessary. I've always thought that I do some of my best work when painted into a corner--denied reflexive options, new and more interesting ideas often emerge.

Re verjus--my experience too. I happen to quite like sour flavors and I didn't find verjus potent enough. Gelatinized, some given to me made an interesting shiny paint with compatible flavor for some cold terrines but when that ran out I didn't feel strongly about replacing it. I love that you made it, though. You're one of the most 'complete' cooks I know--you'll take on anything.