Reducing Sauces - why am I so slow?

[karyn]

So I'm making the red wine pan sauce for our dinner tonight. There are slightly less than 2 cups of liquid in the sauce and the recipe says that it can be reduced to 1/2 cup in about 9 minutes. Really??

I'm guessing it will take at least twice that long to reduce by almost 3/4. I've never had a reduction go that quickly, but I usually just ignore the times. Do I use too low a temp when I reduce (I shoot for a gentle simmer) or is there something else I'm doing wrong?

[cjs]

Karyn, I've found times for reductions are almost always under estimated. I do my reductions higher than you but not a rolling boil, I guess between the two - simmer and rolling boil.

[esgunn]

Karyn, My Reductions take way longer than listed. I think a wider shallower pot helps for a quicker reduction rather than a deeper pot. When I make a pan sauce in a skillet sometimes I have to be careful it doesn't go to fast. But I am just guessing here.

[Harborwitch]

I think the wider pan exposes more of the sauce to the heat??? It'll take forever to reduce a sauce, for me, in a deep pan.

[chef_Tab]

My reductions usually take longer too. Unless the liquid is alchohol and then it seems to evaporate into thin air. I have to mention that I laugh at the cooking times as well. I typically plan at least twice as much time as recipes cite. I am not sure if it is because I am a novice, or the times assume all of the prep work is done beforehand.

[karyn]

Well, as expected, the reduction took about 20 minutes. I probably do more than a gentle simmer, but I hate needing to excuse myself for a minute or two and coming back to gunk boiling all over the stove top, too. I may be a bit gentle, but not by 50%!

I'm glad that you all seem to have the same experience as I do. I guess if I had the time (and desire) to watch the pot for the entire 9 minutes, I could probably get it done, but I think I prefer to take my time!

[Gourmet_Mom]

Heck, I'm glad it's not just me! The cream sauce for my favorite Shrimp and Grits recipe by Paula Deen takes WAY longer than the recipe indicates. And that's just one of MANY! Whew...I thought I was reduction challenged!

[pjcooks]

I have the same issue, karyn. Not only with C@H recipes, but with CI's as well, even more so. With them, I have to reduce longer, cook longer, bake longer and all with a recently calibrated (fairly new) stove.

It's not you. Now I build that into my cook and serve time.

PJ

[Harborwitch]

I love my big gas stove - the simmer burner was a delight. The motorhome has a 3 burner stove - no power burner, no simmer burner. I got a flame tamer for one burner - it really helps.

The micro/convection oven was the same kind of issue - reduce heat by 10 to 20 degrees and shorten the time by at least 5 or 10 minutes. I'm dialing it in - slowly.

[Cubangirl]

I have found that bringing it to a full boil, then reducing until it is under control (not as risk of boiling over) works better for me (electric stove). I never use a straight sided pot, but most of the time do it right in my 5 qt sauté pan or one of my chef's pan (Calphalon calls it that, others sauciers). They always take longer than directions (ditto for caramelizing onions and browning mushrooms dry) but take much less time using this method. Also it helps if the ingredients are already hot and always at least room temp. If I've not already used the pan, I put it on the stove to heat before adding the ingredients, much the same way I preheat pans for searing.