Berries arenโt known for their staying power, but my storage hack can keep them fresh and tasty longer. And it is easier than you think. With a quick wash, gentle drying, and a proper container setup, you can keep strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and more fresh for weeks.
Follow these simple steps to enjoy perfectly preserved berries straight from the fridge.
Best Way to Clean & Store Berries
Start by inspecting the berries and removing any that show signs of mold. Mold spreads rapidly, so get those bad boys out of there to protect the rest.
How to Clean Berries
Berries are often covered in microscopic mold spores and bacteria, both which cause them to spoil faster. After you remove bad fruit from the bunch, you need to remove these pesky things next.
Give the berries a vinegar bath using 1 part vinegar (any vinegar will do) and 3 parts water. Soak the berries for 15 minutes. Strain them but do not rinse them.
No, they will not taste like vinegar.
How to Dry Berries
Moisture also causes berries to spoil.
Yes, the grocery store sprays produce with water all day long. But supermarkets only do this to produce that is out in the open. Your fridge likely has doors. ๐คฃ So you must thoroughly dry the berries. This really goes for any produce you are storing in the refrigerator.
A salad spinner is the easiest way to do this. Line the spinner with a towel (this prevents bruising), add the berries, and gently spin them until dry.
You can also lay them out on a towel to air dry or, hell, bust a blow dryer. Just don’t use a lot of heat! I don’t have hair so I don’t have a blow dryer. ๐โโ๏ธ
How to Store Berries
Once dry, store the berries in a towel-lined container that you can cover, and place them in the fridge. Something that is slightly breathable.
