How to Macerate Fruit for Sweet and Flavorful Recipes

How to Macerate Fruit

Dust fresh fruit with sugar; add a little juice, balsamic or other flavorful liquid; and let stand. Fruit softens, its natural juices draw out and intensify, and the liquid permeates the fruit. The result is a fruit-and-sauce medley to include in a variety of recipes. What a delicious way to take advantage of summer produce!

Kristi Chew

•

Summer 2021

A bowl of sliced strawberries and whole raspberries and blueberries in a white bowl with a syrupy sauce.

How to Macerate Fruit

Kristi Chew

•

Summer 2021

Best Fruits to Macerate

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Most fruits are good candidates for macerating. Keep in mind that soft-flesh and thin-skinned fruits require less maceration time than those with thick skin or firm flesh.
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Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Melon: Macerate soft fruits with thin skins for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
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Tip: When macerated, berries generate a syruplike liquid similar to that in a compote. Macerating a combination of berries gives the liquid a flavor that’s more than the sum of its parts and creates a delectable topper for vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
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Blueberries, Plums, Grapes: Macerate fruits with slightly thicker skins for 1 to 2 hours.
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Stone Fruit (Peaches, Cherries, Apricots): Macerate fruits with thick flesh for 2 hours to overnight.

Beyond Sugar

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Because sugar draws moisture from fruit to create a liquid, there’s no need to add liquid to the bowl. If you want to create more flavor complexity, soak fruit in not-so-sweet liquids such as wine, liqueur or balsamic vinegar. Or add almond or vanilla extract, cinnamon or pepper. Strawberries get smoky-sweet when macerated in balsamic. Apricots and peaches develop a deeper flavor with bourbon.

How to Macerate Fruit

1. Mix 2 cups rinsed sliced berries or other cut-up fresh fruit with 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a bowl. Stir gently to coat the fruit.

2. Mix in 1 tablespoon fresh fruit juice, wine or other flavorful liquid. Cover bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for soft fruits like berries or melon, and at least 2 hours for hard fruits such as peaches, apples or pears. Keep macerated fruit, covered, in the fridge. Use fruit within about 3 days.