If a recipe tells you to bring water to a simmer, what exactly does that mean?!

first of all that is very sweet to do that and simmer means just before boiling!. so i'd set your temp on low!. when it starts lightly bubbling around the sides, thats a simmer!.

hope i could help! enjoy your dinner and good luck!

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The bubbles the previous answerer talked about is actually "nucleat boiling"!. That is, the stage at which small sections of the water mass right next to the pan sides are boiling but the whole thing is not yet at a boil!. A rolling boil occurs as you keep adding energy to the mass!. At this point large bubbles of steam will be created all over the mass!. A simmer is where just enough energy is being added to the mass to cause an occasional steam bubble but not lots of them all the time!. At that point the food in the water is kept at its highest liquid water temperature as opposed to being exposed to sporatic steam heat!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

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Simmer is the stage just before boiling!. The water will show tiny bubbles on the sides and bottom of the pan, but you won't see full bubbles on top like a boil!.
I applaud your efforts and good luck!.!.!.!.I'm sure your wife will be happy!Www@FoodAQ@Com

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simmer is the tiny tiny bubbles before it boils (big bubbles)

you're basically bringing it just up to boiling but not actually boiling it :)Www@FoodAQ@Com

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tiny bubbles, but not quite the bubble to come out of theewater and boiling, is the process before the boiling!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

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bring the water up to a boil then turn down the heat until it is just giving off small bubbles!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

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If the recipe tells you to simmer it, then that means wait until it boils!. That's what it means!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

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Water just at boiling point!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

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