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I've recently stumbled on Masterchef professionals as an American, and it's very impressive! Many chefs serve "compressed" vegetables and fruits (e.g. tomatoes, pears, cucumber, mango, etc.). What does it mean to "compress" these things? And does any home cooking technique compare?

I understand it means basically exposing them to negative pressure in a vacuum pack, which would "break down the structure" somewhat. Could it be possible that microwaving, freezing, or actually squishing these things under a heavy item (e.g. cast iron pan, or a brick) would achieve the same thing?

Luciano
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AdamO
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  • It doesn't have to be negative pressure to be "compression"-- there are a lot of recipes for tofu that call for compressing it to squeeze out water by putting something heavy on it. The vacuum "compression" also extracts water (if done in a rigid container), but I suspect that it would damage the food differently, as it wouldn't need to crush the structures, just rupture enough cell walls so the liquid can come out. (most of my experience with vacuum bagging is from building composite structures that were cured in an autoclave, not food, so I might be making some false assumptions here)) – Joe Nov 11 '21 at 13:56
  • @Joe I think the food technique of "compression" was pioneered at Fat Duck, and since it is done by a vacuum is not compression in the traditional sense. For instance, "pressed" tofu is a technique just to accelerate release of the liquid. I tested this by drying out tofu for a few hours versus pressing it with my cast iron pot. They both lost the same liquid and tasted the same. – AdamO Nov 11 '21 at 18:45

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Yes, compression is simply pulling a hard vacuum on (usually) a fruit or vegetable. It's possible that you could somewhat mimic the effect with a weight. The vacuum is collapsing the cell structure. Often times, flavoring is added, and the vacuum serves to push that flavor into the product. I don't think microwaving would have the same effect at all, and while freeze-thaw does break down cell structure, often one is left with excessive liquid, and a breakdown of overall texture.

Probably the best known example is the watermelon "sushi" made popular by modernist chefs, maybe 10 or so years ago.

moscafj
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  • Possibly a second question, but another technique I hear discussed here and abroad is "macerated" this-or-that, usually strawberries. If you "macerate" you submerge in a fluid. And this is basically marination except the liquid has less acid, correct? – AdamO Nov 09 '21 at 22:09
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    @AdamO macerating fruit is when you coat it in sugar, which draws out the juices from the fruit and breaks them down a bit. All liquids come from the fruit itself. – Esther Nov 09 '21 at 23:05