A Pinch Of This Pantry Staple Makes Blueberries Taste 20x Better

Blueberries are one of those amazing little treats we just can't get enough of. Sweet, tart, and incredibly juicy, they're an ideal addition to your breakfast oatmeal. They're just as tasty when stirred into Greek yogurt, blended into smoothies, or enjoyed plain. While you can choose the tastiest pint of blueberries at the store with a few simple tips, sometimes, you just don't have time to inspect every pack. That means you might miss out on the sweetest blueberries. If that happens and your blueberries are a little tangier than usual, a pinch of salt is all it takes to bring out their sweetness.

At first glance, this sounds contradictory. However, there's a good scientific explanation for it. Table salt, or sodium chloride, is made up of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Some would argue that table salt is the worst for cooking, but it plays a vital role in supporting the nerves, muscles, and fluid balance. It also interacts with other flavors. According to a 2020 study, the sodium it contains helps activate the sodium-glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1) protein that is present in our taste buds. This protein's main job is to carry glucose into cells for fuel. Surprisingly, though, the scientists also detected it in sweet-responsive taste cells (or T1R receptors). Once it reaches the taste buds and activates these cells, it boosts their ability to detect natural sugars, such as glucose and sucrose. A little salt can therefore make blueberries taste noticeably sweeter.

While helpful, you might no longer need the rinsing hack to sort out the sweetest blueberries in the pack. Instead, once you bring your blueberries home from the store and wash them thoroughly, open the pantry and reach for the salt. Any kind of salt does the job, whether table, sea, kosher, or even Himalayan pink salt. A pinch is all you need; otherwise, the blueberries may begin to taste salty. You could then gently crush the blueberries, or pierce their thick skin to let the salt penetrate the flesh. The salt then cuts through the blueberries' tartness and their bitterish skin, and enhances their natural sweetness.

Salt-fermented blueberries are another option worth trying. However, the fermentation process significantly alters their flavor. When prepared this way, most of their natural sugars are used by bacteria, and they become noticeably more tart. The salt still enhances the remaining sweetness, however. That said, the trick is even more effective with cooked blueberries because heat breaks down and softens their skins and releases their juices. Since blueberries are made up of about 85% water, most of it evaporates during cooking; as a result, their flavors become concentrated, and their texture becomes rich and syrupy. Adding some salt during this process can seriously boost the blueberries' sweetness. It can make your morning toast, blueberry jam muffins, or cakes at least a dozen times better.