Petimezi, also known as grape molasses or grape syrup, is a common ingredient in Greek cuisine with many uses such as a sweetener in tea or coffee, or an ice cream topping. Today I will teach you how to make it yourself.
All you need for 1 1/2 cups of petimezi is 10 pounds of grapes (or around 25 cups) and a tablespoon of wood ash (optional).
To start, crush the grapes by hand into a large bowl. Pour it through a strainer and into a pot to remove the pulp and stems, and repeat until you have all of the juice.
If you chose to use the wood ash, tie it up in a piece of cloth and place it into the pot with the juice. this will cause any remaining pulp to separate from the juice and form a sediment on the bottom of the pot.
Bring the juice to a boil, and leave it to simmer for an hour. If it starts to foam use a spatula or wooden spoon to skim it off. After the hour is up, remove the ash if you added it and check the Petimezi to see if it has the right consistency. If it is not maple syrup-like in texture, then boil it down until it is. Allow it to sit unmoved overnight.
Finally, pour it into a bowl or jar. If you used the ash, take care to leave the sediment in the pot and not fall in with the syrup.
Sources: Opa! A Sweet Petimezi Syrup Recipe from Greece, Plus an Athens Taverna You Must Visit!
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