Switchel and Pineberries

I had never heard of switchel when I received an email newsletter from Kripalu that included a recipe for turmeric switchel. (Kripalu is a wonderful yoga and wellness retreat center in western MA.)

The recipe has fewer than 10 ingredients—which is my threshold for recipes—so I decided to try it. I threw five ingredients into a mason jar and let them mingle overnight. Then I added water the next day, gave it all a shake, and tried it out. It was…fine. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. I’ll give it another try or two. It would be nice to have another type of healthy drink in rotation.

I had never heard of pineberries either, but when I saw them listed on my imperfect produce site, I ordered them. Something that looks like a strawberry but tastes like a pineapple? Color me intrigued. I did a little research before eating them and read that they were “tart,” “creamy,” and “had subtle notes of tropical flavor.” That sounded delightful as I sat in my apartment with a scarf around my neck a la Bob Cratchit.

I had also read to eat them at room temperature for optimum flavor, so I let them sit on my counter for 30 minutes. The first couple I tried tasted a lot like strawberries—albeit tart ones. Then I came across a slightly mushy one…and there was the tropical flavor. Maybe I should leave them out for longer than 30 minutes the next time that I have a few.

The pineberries were kind of pricey, but I would treat myself to these again. I want to try some in a smoothie! Have you ever had switchel or pineberries before? Leave your review in the comments!