Grape Must
It's October, the grape harvest has begun! I love participating in the grape harvest, being an invigorating activity in the middle of nature, surrounded by the smell of forest and ripe grapes, alongside the whole family. After we've gathered all the grapes, we sit with a slice of cozonac (sweet bread) and a glass of tuica (plum brandy) at the top of the hill to catch our breath. Then we head home to make must, which by Christmas will become a wine perfect for mulling. Everything ends with a meal of chicken soup, sarmale (cabbage rolls) and pastries.
If you miss these moments too, but you're far from the country or no longer have relatives with vineyards, you can prepare a glass of must at home. The most efficient way is with a fruit juicer, but if you don't have one, proceed as below.
Ingredients
ripe grapes (sweet and juicy)
How to prepare grape must
- Wash the grapes. Remove the berries from the stems.
- Crush the grapes either in a food processor or with a potato masher.
- Put the crushed grapes in a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Squeeze until all the juice comes out.
- Store in bottles, refrigerated, to prevent fermentation. If you want to keep it longer, either freeze it or add one aspirin to each bottle.
