Who doesn't love strawberries? Who doesn't love blueberries. They are both delicious on their own, but combined, they are a taste sensation. And let's not forget they are also good for the body. Strawberries, packed with fiber, potassium, folate and antioxidants are a delicious addition to any diet. Blueberries, likewise, low in calories and full of fiber, Vitamin C and Vitamin K, are classified a "superfood". How could you go wrong enjoying a single serving of either of these luscious berries. But just imagine the two of them together in a delightful fruit salad, perfect for the morning meal or any time of day.
This was our finished fruit salad inside a glass storage bowl and ready to be placed in the refrigerator. I store this salad in the refrigerator, however, I rather prefer it at room temperature.
We started with a 32 ounce package of fresh strawberries in the colander and added one dry pint of blueberries.
The label on this little clamshell container states, "NET WT 1 DRY PINT". I looked this up and, according to a source on the web, one U.S. Dry Pint equals 18.62 ounces, or 2.325 cups. Just FYI.
It's a good idea to clean the berries before you start your assembly. You never know. They could be completely clean and ready to eat, but why take the chance. I spray them thoroughly with this solution I bought at World Market, then give them a vigorous rinse while in the colander to remove any contaminants.
Here they are with the fruit and veggie spray applied. I don't let them sit for very long. Maybe 30 seconds. Then a good rinse.
Once they are all cleaned up, I remove the green leafy stem end from the strawberries and slice them in half. This is easily done with a paring knife. You do not need to invest in some fancy "strawberry huller" or "stem extractor" or anything like that. A paring knife will work just perfectly.
If you are just starting to work in the kitchen, this is a paring knife. One of the most useful tools in your kitchen. These knives have about a 4" blade. Sometimes the blade is curved, but generally, what you see in the picture above is what is considered a standard paring knife.
Here are our berries, cleaned, strawberries sliced and combined in a bowl for the final step.
First up, sugar. Just plain old white sugar. We will add two tablespoons of sugar to the bowl.
Our berries with the sugar added.
Next ingredient, Balsamic vinegar. You may not think this would work, but it does. The sweetness of the sugar paired with the tangy bitterness of the vinegar is a great combination.
In with two tablespoons of the Balsamic vinegar.
Here are our berries with the two main ingredients added. Now it is time to mix them together. I do not use a spoon or a spatula for this step.
You will need two large bowls for this process. I don't care if they are glass or copper or stainless steel - it doesn't matter. You just need to large bowls. Start with the fruit all in one bowl.
Then pour the contents into the other large bowl. Then, from that bowl, back into the original bowl and so on and so on until the sugar and vinegar are thoroughly distributed throughout the berries. I usually do this back and forth between the two bowls no less than six times.
Now that the fruit and the sugar and vinegar are all combined. transfer the mixture to a glass storage dish for keeping in the refrigerator.
If you are so inclined, you could add the zest of one lime to the mixture. Sometimes I do this, sometimes I do not. Depends on my mood the day I am making this. It is delicious either way.
Finally, there is one last ingredient I highly recommend and that is, . . . salt. Plain old everyday iodized salt. Before you place the berries in the refrigerator, give them a light sprinkling of salt. Then cover the container they are in and let them sit in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours. Take them out and let the temperature come up. Give them a stir and serve.
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