Blueberry (or Strawberry) Topping

For our homemade waffles from the other day's post, I had to have a good topping for them.  Unfortunately, I was out of Grade B maple syrup.  Fortunately, I had bought an obscene a large amount of blueberries at the grocery store the other week. 

This blueberry topping was easy to make.  There is a bit of waiting involved but the first time I made it, I didn't have the time so I just skipped all the waiting parts.  It probably didn't thicken as well as it would if you actually waited but the taste was still delicious! The second time (it was so good that I wanted it for the leftover waffles!), I followed the directions more closely because I had a little more time on my hands.

You can easily substitute strawberries (hulled and sliced thin) for the blueberries.  Either would make a great topping for any kind of breakfast like pancakes, waffles or french toast.  I think it would also go well as a dessert topping, too.  Finally, it's particularly festive for the 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day!

Blueberry (or Strawberry) Topping
Taken from: America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
Makes 2 cups

• 4 cups blueberries or strawberries (strawberries should be hulled and sliced thin), about 20 ounces
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Mash 2 cups of the blueberries in a small saucepan with a potato masher.  Stir in the remaining blueberries, sugar and salt and let sit, stirring occasionally,until blueberries have released their juices and sugar has dissolved, about 30 minutes (the first time I made this, I only waited about 5-10 minutes).  (If using strawberries, toss 2 cups of strawberries, sugar and salt in small sauce pan and let sit, stirring occasionally, until strawberries have released their juices and sugar has dissolved, about 30 minutes.  Stir in remaining 2 cups of strawberries.)
2. Cook over medium heat until juice has thickened into a sauce, about 6 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice.  Let cool 1 hour before serving (the first time I made this, I didn't wait at all and while it didn't thicken as much, it was still delicious).
3. Store leftovers in sealed container in fridge.