If there's one technique you need to learn for delicious desserts, it's how to macerate strawberries!

Maceration is one of the handiest and simplest techniques to bring our the flavor and color of slightly underripe strawberries. Plus, they release enough juice to make the best strawberry sauce ever.

Step 1: What You'll Need

All you need for macerated strawberries is time and sugar. :)

In this case, I used about 1/4 cup of sugar and a 1/2 quart of strawberries and let them sit overnight.

It's best to use at least 2 tablespoons sugar per cup of berries and increase the amount based on the tartness of the berries. Some of mine were pretty tart and I wanted them to be nice and sweet.

You'll also need covered place to store them in the fridge - I always use a glass bowl and plastic wrap.

Step 2: Wash and Cut the Strawberries

Wash the strawberries, cut off the tops and slice them.

I like to cut mine into 1/8-1/4 inch slices, but you can also dice the berries or cut them in halves and thirds. The larger they are, the longer it will take for them to release their juice. More cut surface area = more places for the sugar to do its job!

Step 3: Cover With Sugar and Let It Sit!

The best thing about this part is you really can't go wrong! Keeping the sugar amount between 2 tablespoons and 1/4 cup has never steered me wrong. Just wing it and go by taste!

(I never add liquid to mine, but you can absolutely add in a little wine, vodka or other alcohol for berries with a kick. I've even seen folks add balsalmic vinegar.)

Pour the sugar over and mix it in. You'll see liquid almost immediately.

For best results, cover the berry and sugar mix and pop in the fridge for a couple hours. This will result in softened, bright red and sweet strawberries in a little juice.

I like to leave mine overnight for maximum juice!

Make sure to eat them within a couple days - they can be prone to mold and fermenting if left to long thanks to the super high sugar content. :P