A marinade is a “soaker”; the marinade is intended to seep through the meat tissues carrying the flavor throughout. The acid, usually in the form of vinegar or lemon juice, begins to break down the tissue and make the meat tenderer. A glaze is primarily an external coating though the flavor may start to seep into the meat.
Fruit syrups and jams and jellies make excellent bases for marinades and glazes. As a general rule, use syrups for marinades and jams and jellies for glazes; a syrup penetrates the meat fibers more readily while a jam or jelly will adhere better to the meat for a glaze. You can use them straight out of the bottle though a little vinegar or lemon juice added to the syrup will help tenderize the meat. A meat tenderizer that uses prongs to penetrate the tissues will help distribute the marinade through the meat.
You can also glaze vegetables. Try a little peach or apricot jam as a glaze on green beans with a handful of slivered almonds. Carrots, parsnips, or turnips glaze well. Try a little jam or syrup with your stir fries.
A red syrup is best on red meat where a red syrup on chicken will tend to discolor the meat. Consider a light-colored syrup—such as Orchard Peach or Cinnamon Apple Passion—for lighter colored chicken. Favorites for glazes are Red Currant, Peach Pineapple Paradise, and our new Pomegranate Jelly. We love Continental Cherry with Ham. For small hams, try cherry syrup in a marinade.
Consider these ideas for glazes for hams.
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