What to cook now: berries!

Epicurious.com

Sizzling summers bring out berries' sweetest flavors. Perhaps the simplest way to eat berries, other than straight from the carton, is to toss them in sugar and let them stand at room temperature for an hour-sugar draws out their juice and concentrates their flavor. We also love to use berries in cakes, pies, sorbets, and even drinks. Here are some of our favorite recipes featuring strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and more.

Avoid the Duds
Strawberries should be fragrant and bright red, with no white or green patches near their stems; blueberries should be firm but not hard; raspberries and blackberries should be plump and shiny.

Prolong Peak Flavor
Berries have a very short shelf life-their peak flavor and texture only lasts two to three days. To prolong it, immediately discard moldy or overripe berries. Put the remaining berries, unwashed, into a container lined with paper towels to absorb decay-hastening moisture. Refrigerate. Wash briefly in cold water just before eating.

Keep Some for Later
Berries freeze well. Put dry berries on a cookie sheet in a single layer, and stick it in the freezer. Once the berries are frozen, put them into a container or plastic bag and leave it in the freezer for up to one year.

Berry Treat:
Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Berries and Vanilla Sabayon

Berry Bake:
Three Berry Butter Cake

Breakfast Blue:
Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

Farm-Fresh Fiesta:
Blackberry Lime Margaritas


Click here for many more recipes.

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