Vincotto Recipe
Vincotto is a traditional Italian sweet, slightly caramelized syrup which has dark amber color and thick consistency. It's excellent to put over cheese, fruit, salads, meat but it's also an essential ingredient for many traditional Italian desserts.
Ingredients
- 10 pounds grapes (white, purple of a mix of both), about 4.5 kg
- 3 large untreated oranges , zest only
Instructions
- Wash grapes under cold running water.10 pounds grapes
- Remove grapes from the stems, selecting and discarding any rotten or bad ones.
- Pass all the grapes through the juicer.
- Filter grape juice through a strainer.
- Pour filtered juice in a stainless steel pot large enough to fit all the juice.
- Bring to a boil on medium heat.
- Skim off any foam/froth that comes to the surface.
- Put the heat on very low and simmer for 1 hour.
- Past 1 hour add orange zest peeled with a potato peeler. IMPORTANT: avoid peeling the white pith which gives bitterness when cooked.3 large untreated oranges
- Simmer for another 60 minutes, then remove orange zest.
- Cook for another 30 minutes.
- Vincotto should start to make bubbles after about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- This is the time when you should start testing its thickness for donness (see NOTE #1).If it has thickened to desired consistency, turn the heat off.If not, continue cooking for additional 10 minutes and test again. The closer you get to the desired thickness the lower should be the flame (to avoid burning) and the more frequently you should do the test.
- When vincotto is ready, turn the heat off and let it cool to room temperature, then bottle into clean sterilized glass bottles.
Notes
NOTE #1
How To Test Vincotto For Doneness
Take a tablespoon of vincotto from the pot and put on the plate. Let cool. Once it’s cool stroke it with a finger. After 2.5 hours it should not be particularly thick, but it starts to get there. Cook for 10-15 more minutes and repeat the test. You’ll notice how it starts to become thicker. NOTE #2 IMPORTANT: turn the heat off a little BEFORE when you think vincotto is ready. Vincotto when still hot is more liquid. When it cools it will get denser. If you overcook it will turn into jam kind jelly, still delicious but not Vincotto anymore.
Take a tablespoon of vincotto from the pot and put on the plate. Let cool. Once it’s cool stroke it with a finger. After 2.5 hours it should not be particularly thick, but it starts to get there. Cook for 10-15 more minutes and repeat the test. You’ll notice how it starts to become thicker. NOTE #2 IMPORTANT: turn the heat off a little BEFORE when you think vincotto is ready. Vincotto when still hot is more liquid. When it cools it will get denser. If you overcook it will turn into jam kind jelly, still delicious but not Vincotto anymore.