Back to Basics: Macerating Fruit | Wednesday’s In the Know

Who doesn’t like fresh fruit, especially with their accompanying juices spooned over a scoop of ice cream or tucked in a flaky pie shell? Today, I’m going to shed some light on the simple art of macerating fruit and the reasons behind.

So, what does “Macerating” mean:

Content Provided by Wikepedia

“In food preparation, maceration is softening or breaking into pieces using a liquid.

Raw, dried or preserved fruit or vegetables are soaked in a liquid to soften the food and/or absorb the flavor of the liquid into the food. In the case of fresh fruit, particularly soft fruit such as strawberries and raspberries, they are often just sprinkled with sugar (and sometimes a small amount of salt) then left to sit and release their own juices. This process makes the food more flavorful and easier to chew and digest.”

In its purest form, sugar helps to “break” down the fruit at hand whether berries, peaches or apples for your famous fruit pie. Macerating fruit is also a great quick and easy topping for your sundae, decadent chocolate cake, brownie or really whatever you fancy!

Steps:

1. Add desired fruit to a bowl.
2. Sprinkle with sugar, per recipe, and using a spoon, gently toss. If you’re not using a recipe, start with a few tablespoons, or enough to give the fruit a light dusting on top.
3. Wait for juices to form, and incorporate into recipe at hand or spoon over ice cream for a simple yet sophisticated touch! 
4. Note: you can also macerate with fruit juice, alcohol or vinegar.

For other terrific tips and hundreds of recipes, visit my website (thetabletogether.com). While there, consider “subscribing” and I will send a new tip or blog post directly to your inbox every Tuesday and Wednesday morning!

P.S. Make sure you check out my YouTube channel, The Table Together with Tiffany Lewis, solely dedicated to bringing all of these fantastic tips and recipes to life!

Cheers to starting a new tradition around The Table Together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!