The maceration process is nothing more than an extraction process between materials of different physical solid-liquid states, in which the chemical compounds of interest are found in the solid matter, since they have solubility; a liquid is used that allows its extraction.
In general, the liquid (or the extractant) is usually water in most cases, however, other liquids such as oils, alcohols, vinegars, or juices can be used which will have a previous preparation, which consists of mixing with different ingredients or aggregates that allow to enhance the extraction effect by the liquid. By means of this method, the extract or the extract with another compound can be obtained that reduces its purity, forcing the product to undergo additional separation methods.
Depending on the temperature that is used, the maceration method can be classified into two types: cold maceration, which consists of immersing the solid agent in the liquid agent and leaving it in contact, resting for several minutes to achieve the liquid to act, the liquids can vary, they can be olive oil used more than anything in the field of gastronomy and that allows the extraction of the flavor and fragrance of the macerated object; For this reason it is widely used in the preparation of salads or cold dishes, this being done either at low temperatures or at room temperature takes a great amount of time. On the other hand, you can practice maceration in heat, the steps to follow will be the same as for cold mashing, only with the difference that the waiting time decreases, since the heat tends to accelerate these extraction reactions, which can lead to the possible calcination of the compounds in reaction if they are thermolabile structures.
In gastronomy it is very easy to confuse two terms that are maceration and marination, many individuals tend to use them as synonymous terms, however using them in this way is wrong since they are two processes that have differential characteristics. The maceration consists of the immersion of the food, either nuts, herbs, or different raw foods in water or any liquid such as alcohol, oil, wine, among others in order to achieve the conservation of the food and the impregnation of the liquid; on the other hand, the marginalization consists in the soaking of the food in highly seasoned liquids, to achieve that the food acquires the flavor of the different seasonings.
