What You Need to Know
Must is freshly crushed fruit juice that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit. The solid portion of the must is called pomace and typically makes up 7–23% of the total weight of the must. Making must is the first step in winemaking. Because of its high glucose content, typically between 10 and 15%, must is also used as a sweetener in a variety of cuisines. Unlike commercially sold grape juice, which is filtered and pasteurized, must is thick with particulate matter, opaque, and comes in various shades of brown and purple. The name comes from the Latin vinum mustum; lit. 'young wine'.
Steps
- 1.
Saba (Italy): Concentrated must used as sweetener in traditional desserts
- 2.
Pekmez (Turkey): Boiled grape must forms basis of this molasses-like syrup
- 3.
Mostarda (Portugal): Fresh must used in young wine production before fermentation
The Science
Primary Reaction
Fermentation