My favorite Spring dessert is berries. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries; they all  make me thing Spring.

As their prices fall and they are sourced from places closer to me, they seem to become tastier. 

When looking for strawberries I try to find those that are all red, not those that have white tops.

You know the ones, I’m talking about, don’t you? The kind that looked like they use suncreen, but missed  one spot? And they are always hiding at the bottom of the plastic container.

Blueberries are my faves. I love the plump berries, covered in a white haze.

They develop that haze to protect them form the sun. To me, that means they must be ripe, because that is what good berries look like.

Tips for Storing Fresh Berries

You want them to shake around in their package which means they aren’t moldy and clumped together, but you don’t want them shriveled, which means they are old and dry.

I never wash my berries until I am ready to serve them.

When I bring them home I always open the container and take out the moldy or bruised ones so the others last longer.

I always store them in the refrigerator and I always eat them as soon as possible.

That’s never very hard because it always seems I am grabbing a handful to put in my mouth.

Zoe was the notorious berry stealer. That girl packs them away and I can never have enough berries to please her.

Today is Sunday, the last day of May.

I don’t know about you but Sundays are busy for me.

In Denver we’ve been waiting for our weather to improve; translate that to no rain- and yesterday and today are those days!

I’ve been working on yard projects and trying to catch us up for the season.

Yesterday I finally was able to clean off the deck and put out some new cushions.

I must tell you that we really scored on a new power washer. We found it for less than half price at Tuesday Morning!

We also found two deck chairs that work perfectly for sitting in the yard-if I ever get to sit!

Why am I telling you this?

Well, all that busy work keeps me from the kitchen, though that doesn’t have to stop me from eating dessert.

In these cases, this simple strawberries and balsamic vinegar dessert is perfect served over ice cream or yogurt, or even with a spoonful of creme fraiche.

How to Make Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar:

The use of vinegar and pepper may sound odd, but combined with the sweetness of the berries makes a very refreshing, healthy dessert.

Plus it is fast, which makes it perfect on a busy day. 

But to be honest this makes an incredible dessert for any occasion.

Most people have not tried this simple dessert and are amazed at how good this is.

Start by rinsing your berries of choice.

Strawberries are perfect, but peaches work great, too.

Slice the berries and then douse with good balsamic vinegar that has been mixed with brown sugar.

Stir and ket macerate perhaps while eating dinner.

After dinner, spoon over vanilla ice cream or just add the balsmic strawberries to a dish and top with heavy whipped cream, mascarpone cheese or even creme fraiche.

Add a few grinds of black pepper and prepare to be amazed!

Strawberries and balsamic vinegar and black pepper make an incredible combination.