Maserung

Maserung, or maceration, is a process in which solid plant material is soaked in a liquid to extract soluble compounds such as color, flavor, aroma, and bioactive substances. The solvent can be water, alcohol, oil, or a mixture, and the method is used in winemaking, liqueur production, cosmetics, and herbal medicine. The effectiveness of maceration depends on factors such as time, temperature, particle size, solvent polarity, and agitation.

In winemaking, maceration occurs when grape skins and sometimes seeds remain in contact with fermenting must. This enables color extraction from skins (anthocyanins), as well as tannin and aroma extraction. The duration and temperature of maceration influence the style of the wine, with cold soaks used before fermentation to extract color without substantial tannin, and longer or warmer maceration increasing extraction. Post-fermentation maceration can also occur to adjust color and texture before pressing.

In culinary and beverage contexts, maceration often means soaking fruits or herbs in sugar, juice, syrup, or alcohol to draw out flavors and soften textures. It is common in desserts, fruit preserves, cordials, and liqueurs. In spirits, herbs or fruit may be macerated in alcohol to impart flavor before distillation or filtration.

In cosmetics and herbal medicine, macerated oils are produced by soaking plant material in a carrier oil to extract fragrances and beneficial compounds. Alcoholic macerations, or tinctures, use ethanol-based solvents to pull active constituents from herbs for therapeutic use.

Maserung differs from infusion primarily by duration and method of extraction; both aim to transfer compounds from solid material into a solvent. The term and practices vary across industries, but the core goal remains the same: to obtain flavor, color, aroma, or medicinal constituents.