Maceration is the process of preparing foods through the softening or breaking into pieces using a liquid.
Maceration is often confused with marination, which is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking.
Maceration is the chief means of producing flavored alcoholic beverages, such as cordials, liqueurs, and Geister.
[citation needed] Maceration of byproducts from food processing plants and other organic byproducts such as cooking oil, stubble, wood chips or manure can involve the use of a chopper pump to create a slurry which can be used to create compost or co-digestion feedstock in biogas plants (or both).
[2] In Mandaeism, hamra is made by macerating raisins mixed in water blessed by priests.