Strawberries with Homemade Balsamic Glaze

Berries and vinegar might sound like odd partners, but they’re wonderful together. When you combine sweet summer strawberries with a homemade Balsamic reduction (also called Balsamic glaze), the flavors are fantastic. It a terrific combo and an easy and healthy dessert.

By the side of my stove sits a platter filled with basic things that I use constantly in cooking. Olive oil, coconut oil, a variety of salts and pepper, and a little squeeze bottle filled with an intensely flavored brown syrup. That syrup is Balsamic vinegar reduced with a tiny bit of brown sugar.

Simply reduce Balsamic vinegar by half, simmering in a small saucepan with a little brown sugar. As the vinegar reduces, it thickens. It will thicken further upon cooling into a syrup. Pour into a squeeze bottle or a small jar with a tight lid. No refrigeration is needed.

How to Use Balsamic Glaze

Balsamic glaze is useful in so many ways.

• Squirt a little over roast green beans and onions or other roast vegetables to dress before serving
• Add a squiggly line to dress a plate, like in a fancy restaurant
• Drip it onto toasted baguette smeared with soft goat cheese for an appetizer (add figs if in season)
• Use it as a sauce for roast or grilled salmon or chicken
• Garnish pureed soups
• Squirt over a classic Caprese salad of sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves with some good olive oil
• Drizzle over fresh, sweet strawberries for a fantastic and healthy dessert (over vanilla ice cream too)

Choosing Balsamic

Balsamic vinegar comes in a range of prices and qualities from the cheap imitation stuff to highly prized, aged bottles.

For a reduction, choose at the lower end of the price scale but still a decent quality. And be sure to read the label. You don’t want to buy a bottle with caramel coloring or anything added.

Choose Organic Strawberries

For strawberries, I only buy organic.  They taste better and reduce your exposure to pesticides. If you can only find conventionally grown strawberries, the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks.

The Environmental Working Group publishes an annual Shoppers Guide to highlight which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic.

You can reduce your pesticide exposure by avoiding what the EWG lists on their “dirty dozen” list. The “clean fifteen” list is there too.

Need another way to use this terrific glaze? Try this Fig, Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Crostini with Balsamic Glaze

📖 Recipe