How to Fix that Carton of Sour, Sad Berries You Impulse-Bought
Supermarket berries can taste sour and sub-par. Here’s how to make “meh” berries taste sweeter and better.
Who among us hasn’t impulse-bought a carton of berries at the grocery store? Whether it was a trance-like state induced by the hum of the fluorescent lights, the promise of warmer weather, or just a crazy-low sale price, we’ve all been there. We’ve all bought supermarket strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries only to discover that they’re nothing like the sweet, market-fresh treats of high July. (If you happen to live in California, please wipe that satisfied grin off your face and FedEx us a package of berries, will you?). You’re hoping for earth candy, but what you get instead is a a somewhat hard, kinda sour, slightly astringent, and definitely not juicy taste. Eating them raw might be a little disappointing, so here are five sure-fire ways to make out-of-season or generally “meh” berries taste better.
Sugar and fresh orange juice make these berries way better. Photo: Hirsheimer Hamilton
Macerate Them
Macerating—soaking or steeping in liquid and/or sweetener—is one of the easiest and fastest ways to doctor up sub-par berries. Toss them in sugar, honey, or maple syrup, along with a little fresh juice or alcohol (an herbal liqueur, like elderflower spirit, would be great). You don’t need a lot to get the berries rocking; a quarter- to a half-cup of juice or booze, and about double the amount of sugar, is all you need. Add any extra flavoring agent you like—lemon zest, bruised lemongrass, fresh mint, or ground baking spices, like cinnamon and ginger, are excellent options. Then let it all sit at room temperature for an hour (store in the fridge if waiting longer to eat). The berries will become saucy, taking on the aromatic flavors you added with the sugar. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, and you’ve got a dessert that never fails to impress. Use juice instead of alcohol, and your morning yogurt will put those store-bought “fruit on the bottom” yogurt cups to shame.
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