Can I skim mold off verjus?

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I recently bought a bottle of verjus and used a little of it as part of a non-alcoholic cocktail recipe. I assumed that, due to its high acid content, it would be shelf-stable like vinegar. Turns out it's not! A week after opening, it's got a few floating spots of white mold on the surface.

Now, with some liquids (like molasses or vinegar) I could skim any mold off the surface and the remaining liquid would be safe to use. But I don't know if that's true about verjus, or if I need to throw out the entire $22 bottle now.

Anyone know?



Best Answer

Versus literally means "green juice" in French (I know there's a "te" in French, but it's not pronounced).

From Wikipedia:

Verjus is a highly acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes, crab-apples or other sour fruit.

So versus is sour juice, nothing more, and we should treat it like so in our research for food safety.

From StillTasty:

If grape juice develops an off odor, flavor or appearance, or if mold appears, it should be discarded.

Pretty vague, but I stumbled upon this article from The Bulletin

Moldy or fermented juice is not particularly dangerous to drink, said pediatrician Dr. Kathleen Berchelmann of St. Louis Children’s Hospital. One concerned parent recently took a Juicy Juice box filled with mold to the St. Louis hospital; the juice was not past its expiration date, and the child who drank it had no symptoms.

There's more context in the link above that backs up how mold in juices might not be that dangerous.

Also, from Childrens MD:

If even a tiny bit of air gets into the container molds can grow. The good news for my patient is that moldy, fermented juice is usually not very dangerous to drink.

Though symptoms are possible, from Rainbow International:

But luckily, swallowing a few sips or bites of a moldy item typically isn't a big deal thanks to stomach acid, which is strong enough to kill most pathogens. Some may notice transient GI upset – nausea, cramping, and diarrhea - but most who've imbibed a moldy mélange will notice nothing.




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Can you scrape mold off food?

But don't start scraping, which can release mold spores into the air or allow them to spread to your countertops or other foods. The only safe way to remove that mold is to cut away an inch of cheese all the way around the spot, she says. \u201cYou'll probably cut away some safe parts, but that's a good rule of thumb.\u201d

Does verjuice go off?

Once opened, verjuice can be recorked and refrigerated for two to three weeks; if frozen, it will keep for several months.

How long can you keep verjus?

Opened verjus will keep, re-corked, in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 months. To freeze for a longer period of time, pour verjus into ice cube trays.

How do you preserve verjus?

And, if you want your verjus to hold up for a long time in the fridge, you will need a little citric acid. If you really want it to hold up for 6 months or more, add the winemaker's friend: sodium metabisulfite, which is available at any winemaking shop. This is the "sulfites" you see on wine labels.



Does Vinegar Kill Mold? Watch This Before You Use It...




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