Because of the weather many of my black grapes are unlikely to ripen this year. There will quite a quantity and after searching the net I came across something called verjuice. Has anyone ever sampled verjuice or better still made and sampled it? Any other ideas of what to do with the grapes would be very welcome. Many thanks. Margaret
I have heard of it but unfortunately can't help you with your questions, but if you search using the spelling ver jus (or verjus), you may find more information.
I read somewhere that in England and else where gardeners would cut the grapes off with enough stem to stick in a jars that are laid on their sides and left to ripen inside somewhere out of the cold. I've never tried it but it might be worth a try.
Many thanks for the replies. I did look on the net and verjuice seems to be becoming one of the new "in things" which was first made many centuries ago! Apparently it is used instead of vinegar because it is less acidic and also as a remedy for stomach problems. I am going to make a small quantity and will probably just throw the rest of the grapes away. The grapes are growing near Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast of BC and if anyone would like to come and pick some just let me know and we can arrange a time. We have had one frost and snow fell just a short distance from us so time is of the essence. On the bright side though I have managed to pick lots of the earlier ripeners. Thanks for the idea about ripening in jars Greg. Was there any info. about whether the jars were clear glass or pottery? I am going to try both and will let you know what happens. Margaret
The jars were clear I assume to see if there was enough water inside. Seems a labour intensive process so judge for your self. I found where I read it though in a book called A History of Kitchen Gardening by Susan Campell, interesting book with lots of ideas related to fruit and vegetable gardening.