Cherries Taste 10x Sweeter (And Less Tart) Sprinkled With This Seasoning

Sweet, juicy, and beautifully tart, cherries are one of early summer's best treats. After you deep clean your cherries the right way, it's only natural to find yourself tempted to grab a handful and shove them in your mouth. Before you do that, a tiny sprinkle of salt can actually make them taste 10 times sweeter and, at the same time, tame their tartness.

To culinary newbies, this might sound like an easy way to ruin a perfectly good bowl of cherries, but there's some fascinating science behind why this trick works so well. It turns out that sodium, one of salt's main components, activates a protein, sodium-glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1), found on the tongue. In other words, the moment salt reaches the tongue, the sodium it contains lets SGLT1 respond to glucose. As a result, cherries' natural sweetness becomes more intense. In addition, salt can also tone down cherries' unwanted flavors, among which is bitterness. This largely explains why salt is commonly used as a flavor enhancer in desserts, such as chocolate chip cookies, brownies, salted caramel candies, and even ice cream.

What makes this trick even better is that you can use it with any cherry cultivar. However, Bing cherries, a favorite among American consumers, have a rich, sweet flavor with a touch of acidity that makes them a superb pick. For similar reasons, tart Montmorency cherries are another great choice. At the same time, Rainier cherries are known for their high sugar content and delicate, mildly tart flavor. A tiny pinch of salt can beautifully balance their flavor profile.

As for which salt to use, Himalayan pink salt, flaky sea salt, or any of the salts experts recommend having in the kitchen all do the trick. Still, if you're feeling adventurous, flavored salts are worth exploring. Chili-lime salt adds a spicy, smoky, zesty kick and complements the cherries' sweetness while lemon-infused salt brings out their tanginess and vanilla salt turns ordinary cherries into a dessert-like treat. Whichever salt you choose, remember that more doesn't always mean merrier. A pinch goes a long way. Too much salt easily overpowers the fruit's delicate flavor.

Finally, this kitchen hack doesn't have to stop at cherries. Feel free to experiment with a bit of salt on other fruits; for example, a pinch of this pantry staple can make blueberries taste 20x better. It also works with watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, peaches, and plums. Even better, salt also comes in handy when your fruit is slightly underripe or overripe.