Pin 1: Mosto cotto d’uva- Cooked grape must

So this pin came out of necessity. I opened up my fridge and saw a bag of grapes that was going old and knew that I had to make something out of them other wise by Saturday I would just throw them away.  So on to Pinterest I went and searched for grapes.  Most the the recipes I found I thought fresh grapes would work best for but this picture looked like a jar of preserves or something so that should work for old grapes right?

The original pin does not bring you to the website with the recipe but by doing a little digging I was able to fine the recipe with no problem.  It is from another blog called: Cibo, vino e parole.  My knowledge outside of the English language is limited but I do know that vino is wine in Italian, I think. While looking at the site I noticed that the whole website is in Italian.  Major bummer because I was looking forward to making what ever is in that jar.  But then I read "scroll down for English version."  Awesome back on track.   So here is my story of  making Cooked Grape Must.

Cooked grape must 

For ½ a liter of cooked grape must:

1 ½ l. fresh black grapes juice

2-3 tablespoons sugar (optional)

Look for freshly pressed, unfermented grape juice,  without skins and pips.

Pour the fresh grape  juice into a big pot.

 Put it on the fire to boil slowly and skim off any froth that rises.

Cook until the fresh juice is restricted to one third of its original volume (about 1 hour and a half for me) or until will have the consistency of syrup.

If you want, you can add almost at the end,  a few tablespoons of sugar to taste.

Turn off the heat and let cool in the pot. Strain and store in a tightly closed jar or  bottle .

Keep in a  in cool and dark place.

You can use grape syrup with cheese, to make  cookies, to add a bread dough  and drizzled over ice cream.

Read more: http://www.cibovinoeparole.com/2012/10/mosto-cotto-d-uva-grape-must-cooked.html#ixzz2TD8w3bxm

My first thought was I don't know what Grape Must is.  So I did what any 20 something would do; I googled it. Must (from the Latin vinum mustum, “young wine”) is freshly pressed fruit juice(usually grape juice) that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit. That really doesn't tell me to much but oh well.   I next looked at the ingredient list.  Fresh black grape juice.  I don't have that but I have maybe a pound of grapes.  I decided that would work just as well I would cook it down like I do chicken stock.   My next thought was to skin the grapes.  I skinned one of them and that took for ever; so instead I just cut the grapes in half.  After I had a pot of grape halves, I smashed them using a meat tenderizer.  Next I added a enough water so there would be some liquid in the pan along with a handful of sugar.  I set the burner to medium and let the grapes cook down.  After about an hour and a half I decided that the grapes had cooked down enough.   Next the recipe says to strain.  So I took my loose leave tea strainer to use to strain the grapes.  I got one small container of grape must but it is better than seeing the grapes go to waste.  I plan to use the must in sweetening homemade yogurt.  Adam is going to try it in his lunch tomorrow.  Hopefully it goes well.