Do you know what the arrope is?

On this occasion we present you one more derivative of our wine industry. We Mendoza understood hundreds of years ago that  our land is conducive to the production of grapes. And from that we began to exploit   viticulture . We became worldwide referrals. We won  awards  and are awarded by the world's most expert jurors. But that production was not left alone in wine, we diversified and went for the must, juices, distillates, grapes in bulk and rice. We tell you what it is and how it is done.

The rice  is the must or grape juice cooked until it takes syrup consistency, very thick. It is usually combined with pieces of fruit such as peach, melon, quince or nuts, and serves to consume it as jam, salty sauce, etc. It does not have any other coloring or preservative products, so it is a completely natural product, as well as great.

Formerly served as a substitute for  honey  or sugar cane, when these were scarce, as the rice allows to sweeten the dishes. In short,  it was a way to cook sweet without using sugar. This treat is kept like any preserves.  Thanks to its high sugar content, it remains in good condition for two or three months, at room temperature. If stored in the refrigerator, it can last up to one year.

 Preparation  

 Ingredients 

• 3 kg white grapes
• 1 kg quince
• 250 ml red wine
• Peel 1 lemon and 1 orange
• 1/4 teaspoon small nutmeg
• 1 cinnamon
• stick 3 cloves
• 750 g sugar

 Elaboration: 

For the elaboration of  the rice, we must wash the grapes and make them juice, pressing or mixing them. Pour the grape juice into a bowl with the sugar , stir until it dissolves. Next, we need to simmer them until their volume is reduced by half.  Wash the lemon and orange very well by rubbing them with a brush , remove the skin very thin, without the white part. To do this it is advisable to grate the peel on a grater or help us with a stripper. Clean, peel and discourage quinces, chop their meat into large sliced.

The second big step of this preparation is to add  all the remaining ingredients to grape juice and cook everything on low heat for 2-3 hours.  You have to be patient and wait as long as necessary, there is the key. Then pack and cover the containers in hot. Put them upside down until they cool completely. For added  safety , they can be sterilized for 10 minutes at a bain-marie.

It should be mentioned that this recipe is typical of the South American region as a whole, and different countries have their customs. However,  in Mendoza we usually award ourselves the invention of the arrope, although, as in every culinary theory, that will remain for each one's taste.