Berries are not the hardiest of fruits, so it is a bit tricky trying to eat them before they get overripe and then turn furry. A nifty trick that I read about and recently tried was plunging my berries in a mix of white vinegar and water. The logic is that the vinegar kills any bacteria or mold spores that linger on the berries' surface. I was skeptical at first, thinking my berries would take on a vinegary taste, but not only do they just taste of sweet summer, they are still mold free after now what is 6 days in the refrigerator. In my mind, the little extra time is worth having berries for days in the fridge, so it will be something I continue to do. Ideally, I would be able to get fresh berries every few days and consume them in time, but that is just not my reality. So for berries that last:
- Fill a bowl with a mixture of 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts cold water
- Plunge whole berries in bowl (if using strawberries, hull first)
- Carefully mix berries around and allow to sit in the mixture for 10 minutes
- Rinse berries with cold water
- Carefully drain berries and spin in a salad spinner basket lined with a paper towel, and spin gently. If you do not have a salad spinner, try to allow berries to dry as much as possible with a paper towel.
- Place berries in a single layer in a paper-towel lined container. You can stack the berries, placing a paper towel layer in between, but be mindful of how much weight is on the bottom layer.
- Store in the fridge and enjoy for days!
This is a bright little fruit plate that hits sweet, tart, creamy, and a little nutty notes. Hardly a recipe, however, I thought it was worth sharing because it is a beautiful and simple take on a fruit salad. It is sunshine in a bowl. I filled the raspberries with a mix of honey and Greek yogurt, but whipped cream, whipped coconut cream (if vegan), or even a mascarpone or ricotta mix would be delicious. I also love how the green pistachios contrast with the reds and yellows, but almost any nut would do. Vegan and do not use honey? Use maple syrup or agave instead as your sweetener!
To fill the raspberries, I use a plastic sandwich bag and snip the corner off just a bit. Nothing fancy, and it is more than enough to get the job done. If you are making this for a get-together, this step can be done a few hours in advance and the raspberries stored carefully in the refrigerator.
Yogurt and Honey Filled Raspberries with Mango
1 cup of fresh raspberries, washed and dried
1/2 fresh ripe mango, peeled and cut into thin slivers
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or coconut yogurt, whipped cream, or mascarpone/ ricotta mixture)
2 teaspoons local honey (or maple syrup or agave if vegan)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped shelled pistachios
Mix the yogurt and honey in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Fill a plastic sandwich bag with yogurt or other filling of choice. Squeeze the yogurt towards one corner. Snip the corner off. Pipe the filling into the raspberries until just beyond the top. You may have leftover filling depending on how large your raspberries are. Arrange the mango slices and raspberries on a plate. Sprinkle raspberries with pistachios and serve. Makes one plate, enough for 1 or 2 people.
