Why You Should Start Marinating Your Berries

If you're not marinating your favorite seasonal berries, you're seriously missing out. The right marinade enhances fresh berries' natural sweetness to better balance their tart undertones. Liquids from the marinade gently draw out juices from the fruits as well, creating a deeply flavorful dark purple or red syrup that you can enjoy with the berries or save for other uses later on. The key to achieving these delectable results lies in choosing fresh, ripe berries and using just the right amount of marinade.

To ensure you're picking the ripest berries, look for plump, brightly colored, fragrant fruit. Avoid berries that look small and dense or overly soft and wrinkled. You can also easily sort ripe and underripe blueberries by tossing them in a bowl of water. Tart berries will float to the top, while the sweeter, ripe berries will sink to the bottom. However, you should avoid this hack with softer berries like raspberries, since they could become mushy.

Next, you'll want to choose your marinade ingredients. Include a sweet element, such as honey or a classic simple syrup, along with an acid to balance out the sweetness. Lemon juice, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, or even champagne are all delicious options. Once you've selected the components for your marinade, whisk them together and drizzle them over the berries. Don't drown your fruit in liquid — a light coating is the perfect amount. Let the marinade work for up to eight hours before enjoying.

The easiest and most obvious use for marinated berries is to spoon them over ice cream or whipped cream. In both instances, the syrupy juices from the fruit mingle with the lush richness of the dairy, creating an incredibly simple yet swoon-worthy treat. This dessert is also naturally gluten-free and can easily be made vegan with a simple syrup or agave-based marinade and coconut whipped cream or ice cream.

You can also drain your marinated berries, set aside the syrup, and use the whole fruit in baked goods, such as buttery mixed berry scones, moist and flavorful quick breads, or even as filling for a fruity spin on classic cinnamon rolls. The reserved syrup makes a delicious topping for your baked goods once they're out of the oven. Drizzle it on as-is or whisk it together with some powdered sugar to create a crackly glaze.

Marinated berries are also a godsend if you're looking for a way to reinvigorate your morning cup of coffee or tea. The berries' bright acidity is shockingly delicious in iced coffee, adding sweetness and bringing out the fruity notes in the roasted beans. Use the berries alone in the bottom of your glass or add a little syrup, too, topping the drink off with creamer or milk if you'd like. You can use this same method to flavor black or green tea, swapping your usual honey for a splash or two of the berry syrup.