Strawberries picked fresh from the garden are thing of beauty. Unfortunately, I find that commercially grown strawberries hardly ever come close. This is where a little balsamic vinegar can make all the difference.
It may sound a little weird, but it’s amazing how the balsamic intensifies the flavor of less-than-perfect strawbs. It’s critical that you use an aged balsamic (15+ years) as younger vinegar won’t have enough sweetness and will taste weird.
See the variations below if you only have supermarket balsamic available.
Strawberries with Balsamic and Mascapone
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
- 9 oz strawberries
- mascapone or thick cream to serve
Instructions
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Remove the tops from the strawberries and slice lengthwise.
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Toss with the vinegar. Serve with mascapone or cream.
Variations
sweeter – add a little stevia or sugar to the balsamic.
dairy-free/vegan – serve with whipped coconut cream instead of the mascapone.
different berries – raspberries would be my second choice.
more wintery – replace strawberries with prunes or other dried fruit that have been covered in boiling water and allowed to stand for 10 minutes before draining.
no aged balsamic? – if you only have access to inexpensive supermarket balsamic, halve the amount and replace with extra sugar or stevia. You really need a 15+ year aged balsamic to contribute enough sweetness on its own.
carb lovers / more substantial – serve with shortbread or other plain sweet biscuits (cookies).
paleo (grain, legume & gairy-free) – replace mascapone with coconut yoghurt.
Shelf Life / Storage
Marinated strawberries will keep for a few days in the fridge. They can be frozen but will be all mushy when defrosted.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
sugar, vinegar – pantry.
strawberries – use for another meal or freeze.
mascarpone or thick cream – generally has a shelf life of a few weeks if unopened. Can be frozen.