Summer Fruit Desserts, Part 2: Balsamic Strawberries

I love strawberries and always have, despite my 15+ year fruit phobia where I did not eat any fruit, or even liked to be around fruit or people eating fruit (yes, I realize this is very strange). Anyway strawberries were always on the safe list because they weren’t juicy and could be eaten with a fork.

I like plain strawberries, but sometimes you want to do something to jazz them up. Even though it might sound weird to some people, marinating strawberries in balsamic vinegar is incredible and really brings out the flavours of the fruit. This Balsamic Strawberries recipe is a great end to a summer night’s meal, and feeds 6 people at $1.66 per serving.

Summer strawberries are at their peak right now at the Farmers’ Market, and are so much better than the crappy ones that you can get year round in the grocery store.

The balsamic syrup is very simple to make: Stir together balsamic vinegar, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Stir the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, and then let it boil until the syrup reduces to around 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes or so. Let the syrup cool completely before mixing it with the strawberries.

Halve the strawberries, and pour the syrup over them and toss well. You can also add some sugar here if you want, to taste. To top off this summer treat, I whipped up some fresh heavy cream with a dash of vanilla extract. Perfection!