Saturday, May 5, 2012

Word of the Week - Macerate

Try macerating with one hand and taking a photo of it with the other!
I've never heard of this word till I read it in Wendy's blog. Such a strange word that actually sounded offensive to a friend, purely based on sound. Simply put, it's a culinary term that means to soften or break down something, usually by soaking in a liquid. In the case of the raspberry here, it is sprinkled with sugar, then left overnight in the fridge to sit and release their own juices. This process makes the food more flavorful. Don't confuse this with marinade though, as the fruit does not go into any cooking form thereafter.

In this picture, the texture is jam-like and you can choose to break it down further with the back of a spoon. For me, I like to taste the fruit chunks.



How much do you like fresh and real fruit in your dessert. No, that's not a question.

Check out my next post when I use these macerated raspberries to form a ripple cheesecake ice-cream based on Wendy's recipe.


5 comments:

  1. I'm not anyone from the corporate world or anyone special as well. Just a common housewife with 2 kids. I'm glad I've joined in the blogasphere. Am having a great time here and hope you are too.
    Have fun!
    Kristy

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  2. Luan Ee-I forgot to mention to you, that I hear more and more people stepping away from the "super stressful" corporate world; just saw on the food network show CHOPPED, a new chef that has left the corporate world, and now, enjoying what she loves.

    For that matter, my son left a large Brokerage Firm after working 10yrs as a stock broker to pursue his love of art...seriously!

    Looking forward to your fabulous ice cream for your next post...and as for macerating, that term may be new for others,(not for me) but the actual process has been done not only with fruits, but also vegetables, as well. It can be done also, by heating and macerating the fruit over the stove to make jam, and to leave it "chunky."
    BTW-I'm an "old timer" prof. chef for over 30yrs!

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  3. Hello Kristy, housewives have the toughest job in the world! Yes, the food blog community has been a very friendly bunch to hang out with - they are so giving with their recipe, advice and friendship. I'm blessed to have experienced this.

    Thanks for the follow. I'm on yours now. Cheers.

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  4. Hi Elisabeth, 30 years of professional cheffing! That IS something! I look forward to reading all your comments and guidance to ALL my posts!! And good on your son for pursuing his passion. I wish him all the best! Now, how do you macerate vegetables??

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  5. LOL!! Guffawed at what you said about "macerate" sounding offensive!
    What a great place you have here, so fun to read and so many tips. I feel like a kid all over again!

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