The pastry chef decided to macerate the fresh strawberries in balsamic vinegar and a touch of brown sugar before plating.

macerate 在此描述酸甜浸渍——用醋加少量糖而非纯糖水浸泡水果，浸泡液和烹饪场景均与制果酱的 macro-scale 糖水浸泡不同。