When a recipie states 'reduce' do you turn up the heat or lower the heat down?

Answer 1

heat so that some of the liquid evaporates. leaving a more concentrated mixture

Answer 2

The recipie usually states at what temp the meal cooks best at, if it does, don't do anything, the reducing time is usually required for something else in the dish to cook.
If it does not state a ideal temp recduction is usually done at a medium heat what is usually referred to as a simmer.

Answer 3

Reducing means to turn down. Generally, a recipe with start out something like this:
Bring water (or whatever liquid) to a boil,(add whatever ingredients) reduce heat and cook or let simmer, until it becomes the desired consistancy or for a specified number of minutes.

Answer 4

Generally when a recipe uses the word "reduce" they are genearally talking about making a reduction. A reduction is the process of thickening or intensifying the flavor of a liquid mixture such as a soup or sauce by evaporation. Common preparations involving reductions include:

Consommés, reduced and clarified stocks
Gravies
Gastriques, sauces involving both acidic and sweet components
Pan Sauces
Syrups

To perform a reduction, boil the liquid (whether stock, wine or sauce mixture) rapidly until the volume desired is reached by evaporation.

Answer 5

Depends on the ingredients -- if the recipe contains sugars, lower the heat -- fats, turn it up (not too high, you don't want it to burn). To reduce simply means to get rid of the 'extra' liquid and make a nice thick sauce.

Answer 6

if reduce heat then turn down but if reduce the liquid then you just let it simmer until the stock is less increasing heat will may it faster then

Answer 7

When it says reduce you turn up the heat. Make sure you don't turn it up too too high, or else you will burn rather than reduce.

Answer 8

reduce means to boil the liquid until it evaporates to the amount or consistency you need...without burning it. Of course, since you're boiling it, you turn UP the heat!!

go here for some more info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduction_%28cooking%29

Answer 9

keep it medium. You want to reduce what you're cooking "making it less". You want it to thicken it up, and all you're really doing is evaporating the water out and bringing out more flavor. But, you don't want to turn up the heat and burn it.

Answer 10

Neither. Continue to cook at the same heat until it thickens (water evaporates off.)