Macerated Berry Topping

These macerated berries call for only two simple ingredients—fresh berries and sugar—and make the perfect addition to ice cream, pancakes, shortcakes, yogurt, and more. The simple topping is especially ideal for hot summer days as it requires zero time on the stove. You can use a mix of berries or just one type—whatever looks best or just what you have on hand. Leave smaller berries whole, but slice larger ones to encourage them to release as much juice as possible. Riper fruit will need less time, but at most this recipe should take about 45 minutes—a few minutes of prep and then hands-off time while the berries macerate.

How Does Macerating Work?

Macerating is the process of soaking fruit in a liquid, which helps it to soften as it absorbs the liquid and its flavor. Both dried and fresh fruit can be macerated, and liquids can range from fruit juice and wine to liquor or vinegar. In this case, combining fresh berries with sugar causes the fruit to release its juices as it sits, which then forms a syrup in which the fruit soaks. Stirring the fruit frequently will help ensure all of the berries make contact with the sugar and syrup, resulting in the juiciest and most flavorful result.

The Best Sugar for This Recipe

When it comes to macerating berries, you can't beat granulated sugar. Neutral-tasting and quick to dissolve, it blends easily with the fruit and lets the flavor of the berries shine. You can use another type of sugar, just note that brown sugar and minimally-processed turbinado sugar will impart a warm, caramel-like taste to the fruit. We don't recommend using confectioners' sugar as it contains a small amount of cornstarch, which will make the topping cloudy.

How to Keep Fresh Berries Fresh for Longer

When you get your berries home from the store, pick through them and remove any with signs of mold or soft, brown spots. If you will be eating them in a few days, store them in the refrigerator in the container they came in and wait to wash them until you're ready to use them.

To extend their shelf life, place the berries in a colander, then dunk the colander in a solution of one part white vinegar to three parts water. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and let them sit until completely dry. Then, transfer them to a container lined with a paper towel. The vinegar will help to kill any mold spores, staving off decay and keeping the berries fresh for at least one week. (Note: This trick works well for strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, but we do not recommend it for more raspberries which are more delicate.)