To soak and soften, tear mace and mince (8)
I believe the answer is:
macerate
'to soak' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'soften tear mace and mince' is the wordplay.
'tear mace' can be anagrammed to 'MACERATE'.
Though, I am not sure how the anagram is indicated.
'and' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for macerate that I've seen before include "Cream tea (anag) -- soften by steeping in liquid" , "Steep in liquid like cream tea" , "Soften food by soaking" , "Soak" .)