Definition: raisinée

A preparation made from sweet fruit juice, cooked in a cauldron over a controlled heat, without stirring, for at least 24 hours. The fruits generally used are apples, pears and also grapes. The synonym being "cooked wine", one might think that this term comes from the grapes used. However, it is not in wine-growing regions that traces of this rural tradition can be found. In Switzerland, raisinée is produced at the foot of the Jura mountains, in Gros-de-Vaud, in the canton of Fribourg. Popular with farmers, this preparation is a way of making use of unsold, overripe or slightly damaged fruit. Raisinée, a true fruit concentrate, can be stored for years. It has a high nutritional value. Used as a traditional jam on bread or in cakes, it is a delicacy. More recently, the craze for local products has revived the tradition. In October, many raisinée nights are organised by producers. See vin cuit.