Goal of macerating fruit for marmalade I have a recipe for kumquat marmalade, it calls for 2 parts fruits, 1 part sugar and 1 part water. Before boiling the liquid it states that one should macerate the fruit in de sugar water first. How does this maceration help?
Macerating breaks down the fruit and extracts the juices. Especially when making jam, it can expedite the process, allowing you to prep the fruit a day in advance. While some recipes say to macerate for several hours, letting it sit overnight can produce better results, particularly when using dried fruits.