Grapes juice and savurètt (pear-juice jam)

Modern techiques used to preserve the grape mus enable production throughout the year but the most genuine juices are only found during the months of September and October. The most of a particular kind of grape is needed to make the called "Ancellotta del reggiano". On the day of grapes-pressing, people used to make certain delicacies on the day when the grapes were pressed with the grape must, the thick, sugary layer that is left at che bottom of the tub after the impurities have been taken out and the wine has been tapped off. The decoction is mixed together with flour and boiled until it becomes thick and rubbery.

Ingredients

1 l must of sweet grapes
100 g of 00 flour
2 spoonfuls of sugar

How to do

Put the must into the pot, mix it with a whisk and incorporate the flour, through a small colander, to avoid clumps. Thicken and mix 5 minutes. Spread it in small cups and let it cool down. Keep it in the refrigerator.

The skill of the housewives, or "resdore", is also seen in the preparation of another decoction called "savurètt", a mixture that is similar to a pickle. Apples and pears are chopped and squeezed of their juice using a rudimentary grater (called a "radein"), the resulting pulp is pressed and squeezed in a little press. The juice is poured into a caultron and boiled in pieces of apple and pears, usually left whole, are thrown in as it is cooking. It is boiled for several hours. Savurett is used as a jam, for marking puddings or as a syrup that is dissolved in water for a delicious and refreshing drink.