Grape vincotto, the sweet nectar special for Christmas Sweets from Apulia. Since childhood, in this period at my home, cooked wine with grape must was prepared. I remember the huge pot that my mom used to put on the fire to boil for many hours to reduce the must and obtain this sweet nectar perfect for our Apulian Cartellate. The history of Vincotto dates back to ancient times, the first record being that of the Greek writer Plautus in 191 BC. In medieval times, this drink was also used as a remedy for colds and coughs. To prepare the Apulian Vincotto, you only need grape must, a large pot, and a few hours at your disposal. Basically, you have to let the must boil until it is reduced to about 1/3, so to obtain one liter of grape Vincotto, you need 3 liters of must to let it reduce. The result is a thick dark cream that is never missing in Apulian pantries. Otherwise, how would you season the Cartellate, prepare the Mostaccioli or many other recipes especially during the Christmas period. Lastly, I suggest you try it on roasts and cheeses, I am sure it will be love at first bite. So let’s run to the kitchen and I will explain how to prepare an irresistible cooked wine with grapes
AND DON’T MISS THESE RECIPES:
- SPICED CHRISTMAS JAM the scent of the holidays in a jar
- LITTLE PANETTONES WITH PEARS AND CHOCOLATE and it's Christmas right away
- CHRISTMAS SHORTCRUST PASTRY RECIPES perfect for Christmas Cookies
- SPICED CHOCOLATE COOKIES cookies that smell like Christmas
- CHRISTMAS ROLL the perfect dessert for the Holidays
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: For 2 liters of Vincotto
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn
- Energy 44.16 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 3.57 (g) of which sugars 3.49 (g)
- Proteins 1.75 (g)
- Fat 2.65 (g) of which saturated 0.00 (g)of which unsaturated 0.00 (g)
- Fibers 0.02 (g)
- Sodium 36.08 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 60 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Cooked Wine Recipe
- 10 l must
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 cloves
How to prepare Grape Vincotto
Cinnamon sticks and cloves are optional ingredients for a super aroma. To easily retrieve them at the end of cooking, I recommend wrapping them in a cheesecloth. Transfer the grape must to a large, tall pot.
Add the aromas if you are using them and bring to a boil over medium heat. At boiling, reduce the heat and let it cook for about 2-3 hours. At the end of cooking, a foam the color of caramel will form on the surface: remove it with a skimmer, turn off the heat, and let it cool.
The vincotto will be reduced to 1/3, obtaining about 2 liters. Remove the spices. Transfer the vincotto into sterilized bottles or jars and seal them well. Store it in a cool, dark pantry. It will last many months, even 1-2 years.
See you tomorrow with a new recipe, a hug, Loredana
Loredana’s Tips
Vincotto keeps in the pantry for a long time
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