Maceration is a process of breaking down and softening various substances. In food preparation, the process most often occurs when soaking fruit in sugar, alcohol, or other flavored liquids with the goals of softening and flavoring the fruit.

Why Macerate?

Maceration changes a fruit’s flavor and texture and is useful for improving the texture of hard, underripe fresh fruit as well as for flavoring fruit at the peak of ripeness. When fruit is macerated, it softens and releases some of its flavor and aroma compounds through its plasmodesmata, which are small channels in the wall of a plant cell that allow molecules and substances to pass through (both in and out) as needed. After maceration, fruit becomes something new, a complex mingling of flavors and textures. The soft fruit and liquid have many uses: a tasty dessert on its own topped with a dollop of whipped cream; a sauce for ice cream or cake; or a filling for pie or a cake where it adds not only flavor, but color and moisture.

渗透作用

渗透是一个过程，在该过程中，流体通过半透明的膜（例如细胞壁）从浓度较低的区域流到较高浓度之一的过程。盐和糖是最常见的渗透催化剂，因此将任何一种成分放入浸渍混合物中都会触发这一过程。当两者接触食物时，它可以达到与食物本身的水含量达到平衡状态，以平衡溶液中盐或糖的浓度，因此开始渗透过程。抽出水果细胞中的可用水被抽出。从果实中流失会导致其软化；它还集中了天然风味。

Osmosis works pretty much the same way when fruit is macerated in alcohol because alcohol, like sugar, is hydrophilic and will “steal” water from the fruit, with other flavor molecules along for the ride.

Sweet Spot

Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning that it attracts and bonds with water. When you macerate with sugar, the water in the fruit is drawn out into the surrounding sugar. As water leaves the fruit, its cells lose volume, reducing the internal pressure on the fruit’s cell walls, which then relax, causing the fruit to soften.

Mediums for Maceration

Liquids for maceration include liquors, liqueurs, wine, fruit juice, vinegars, and water that may (and in the case of water must) be infused with all sorts of flavorings, like spices, herbs, tea, and coffee. When it’s sprinkled on fruit, sugar draws out moisture, creating its own juicy medium for maceration. Liquids for maceration are sometimes heated to hasten the process or to infuse flavors prior to maceration (see below) but maceration does not require the application of heat.

Flavor Boost

Liquids that have already been infused with flavor provide the fastest flavor transfer to the macerating fruit. For instance, it’s best to macerate fruit in a cinnamon-infused liquid rather than adding a cinnamon stick directly to a cold water-based maceration liquid. However, alcohol extracts flavor really effectively. When using a liquid with a high alcohol content, such as whiskey, you can add any mix of whole spices, aromatics, or other flavorful solids because their flavors will be extracted without heating.

Are We There Yet?

The length of time for macerating fruit can vary from about 30 minutes to a couple of days. To calculate an approximate time, consider a few factors: the thickness of the fruit’s skin, the softness of the flesh, and the resulting softness you want for the dish you’re preparing. If you are macerating several fruits together, consider the order in which you add the fruit to the liquid. Start firmer-fleshed or tougher-skinned (if unpeeled) fruits first to give them a head start.