Food and Recipes Fruits Berries Strawberry Macerated Strawberries Be the first to rate & review! Serve on pound cake, ice cream, oatmeal, and more. By Amanda Holstein Amanda Holstein Amanda Holstein fell in love with baking at the age of 6, and continued growing her passion through culinary school and working in bakeries for over 10 years. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on April 4, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photographer: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Active Time: 5 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 4 Macerated strawberries are sweet and tangy, with a pretty presentation, and they're so versatile as a dessert topper. They’re also incredibly easy to make with just a few ingredients and five minutes of active prep time. Macerated strawberries lend themselves to recipe variations. Naturally, strawberry is the predominant flavor, a taste like pure summertime. This recipe also calls for basil, which adds a nice herbal flavor and draws out the sweetness from the berries. And the lemon in the recipe further enhances the natural flavors without overpowering. Make it with fresh, in-season berries for the best results. How you serve them is up to your imagination! How To Make Macerated Strawberries Macerating fruit simply means to soften or steep it. It might sound fancy, but the process is really quite simple: It typically involves adding sugar and often a liquid (like fruit juice or liquor) to fruit, and letting it all marinate. To make the macerated strawberries in this recipe, you'll pulse the sugar and basil in a food processor. Then, add the mixture to a bowl with strawberries and lemon zest, and stir. Let it stand at room temperature until the sugar dissolves and the strawberries are syrupy. 58 Strawberry Recipes To Make With Fresh-Picked Berries Super Simple Strawberry Topping This recipe is so easy to make using just four ingredients available at local grocery stores: strawberries, sugar, basil, and lemon. And it takes just five minutes of active prep work (with at least 30 more minutes to steep). How Long Should You Macerate Strawberries? Let the berries stand for at least 30 minutes or up to two hours. How To Use Macerated Strawberries Serve macerated strawberries as a sweet and colorful topping over ice cream. Or serve it with pound cake or even shortcake for a great-looking presentation and big flavor without fuss. Photographer: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood How Long Are Macerated Strawberries Good? Store macerated strawberries in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The fruit becomes softer the longer the berries macerate. Macerated Strawberries Variations While this easy recipe is alcohol-free, try adding a liquor like Grand Marnier or Cointreau for a variation. Or use juice as liquid instead. Fresh Berry Recipes Frequently Asked Questions Can you use frozen strawberries? In lieu of fresh fruit, you can use frozen strawberries for macerated strawberries. But frozen berries will release liquid as they thaw, so you may end up with a looser mixture. What does it mean if you macerate strawberries? Macerating strawberries means marinating them in sugar, which draws out their juices. How long does it take for strawberries to macerate? Let the mixture marinate at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow the berries to release their juices. Should I macerate strawberries at room temp? Macerate strawberries at room temperature, but then store them in the refrigerator. Can you macerate berries overnight? Macerate strawberries for 30 minutes to two hours. You may then store them in the refrigerator overnight, or for 24 hours. This dish can be prepared in advance, but be warned: Storing it for more than 48 hours make make the berries turn into mush. Can you macerate other fruits? Beyond just strawberries, many fruits lend themselves to maceration. Use any kinds of berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries), stone fruits (peaches, plums, nectarines), tropical fruits (mangoes, pineapples). Get creative! Can you freeze macerated strawberries? You can store macerated strawberries in the refrigerator. You can also make and freeze this mixture for future use. When it thaws, it may be produce more liquid than you want, so you can spoon some of it off. Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin. Ingredients 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish 1 lb. fresh ripe strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 2 cups) 1 tsp. lemon zest 1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 small [4 oz.] lemon) Directions Make the basil sugar: Place sugar and basil in a small food processor or spice grinder. Pulse until basil is fully incorporated into sugar and mixture looks like wet sand, 20 to 30 pulses. Photographer: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Stir together strawberries and other ingredients: Place sugar mixture, strawberries, and lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl. Photographer: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Stir until fully incorporated and sugar has evenly coated berries, about 30 seconds. Photographer: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Let strawberry mixture stand to macerate: Let stand at room temperature until sugar dissolves and strawberries are syrupy, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Garnish with additional basil. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 24 hours. Photographer: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Rate it Print Additional reporting by Alesandra Dubin