Product Overview

Looking for a non-alcoholic addition for those wonderful sauce creations? We've got the perfect solution. A new old world product called verjus. It is an acidulant that adds zest and a flavor to cooking that replaces wine, vinegar, and lemons.

Verjus is made from semi-ripened wine grapes and can be of different varietals such as white or red grapes. It adds a fresh flavor that will enhance the food without masking or overpowering the natural flavors of the dish.

Verjus dates back as early as 71 A.D. and was used by the ancient Romans and Greeks for cooking, healing, and drinking. During medieval times it was also very popular and used to prepare a variety of culinary delights from salads to desserts.

Product Details

The wine grapes are hand picked in their semi-ripened state. This process is usually used to thin out the plants so the remaining grapes can develop into a sweeter, more robust, full flavored grape for their ultimate use in wine and vinegar.

When the young grapes are picked they are pressed immediately to extract the green juice and then quickly bottled to retain as much of the acidic qualities and fresh taste as possible. Once the verjus is bottled it can be stored on the shelf for up to one year. Once opened it must be refrigerated and will last 30 to 45 days.

If you are not planning on using the verjus within that time period you can place the unused portion in ice cube trays and freeze it. Simply remove the frozen verjus and place the cubes in baggies and store it in the freezer until needed.

How to Use:

Verjus can take the place of wine, vinegar, and citrus such as lemons or used in conjunction with them. Because it is unfermented and due to its acidity it will blend with a variety of ingredients to naturally enhance the flavors of the dish.

The light fresh flavor of verjus works well by itself or in combination with rice wine vinegar, pomegranate juice or other citrus flavors for salads. It also makes a great vinaigrette. Verjus blends well for marinades, reduction sauces, poaching liquid, pan sauces for fish, crustaceans, pork, beef, chicken, pheasant, game bird, stews and more. Delicious with steamed or sautéed vegetables, splashed over fresh fruit, blended drinks with or without alcohol, or lemonade. You can use it in just about any recipe that calls for a squeeze of lemon juice, a little wine or white vinegar.

Try our Saba mixed with verjus, soda water, and a twist of lime or lemon for a great refreshing anytime cooler. We invite you to visit the Club Sauce Recipe Section for simple, easy to use recipes for this and other great cooking selections.

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