I am sure many of you are aware of this little tip but if not there is a simple little trick to keeping berries fresh for days or maybe even a week longer.
I find myself making two trips to the store most weeks because my kiddos can literally eat pounds of fresh berries in just a day or two. This takes a few extra minutes when you get home but the bonus is you might get to buy more up front and skip an extra trip to the store.
Or if you have a hard time getting through the berries you buy, it gives you a little extra time to eat your fruit before the mold sets in.
I was always told not to wash berries until you are ready to eat but actually you can wash them in advance and then grab and go!
Once you get home just submerge your berries in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water. (So 1 cup vinegar for every 10 cups of water.)
I have actually used up to 1 cup vinegar for 3 cups water so you don’t need to be super careful with measurements.
Some people use the sink and just stopper it but I get squeamish about using the sink since sinks really are pretty germy.
I have a little tub that works great from the Dollar Tree. Just add your water and vinegar solution and dump them in. Let them soak for just a few minutes and then the key is to let them dry completely.
You can either spread them on a dish towel to dry or set them in a colander. Once they are dry place a paper towel on the bottom of your container, add the fruit and voila! You are done.
Pop them in the fridge like normal. What I actually like to do is cut the tops off as they are laid out to dry and slice them and then put them in a Tupperware. It makes the fruit easy to grab and go (and I am more likely to actually grab it and not a handful of chips!)
This process should be fine for raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries. And you will not taste any vinegar flavor on your berries. If you prefer to make a spray, you can get the directions on how to make an easy produce spray here.
And if you want to make some yummy whipped cream to top your berries, get a simple whipped cream recipe here. (It is so easy and so delicious).
Thanks for posting this today! I just bought 4 large packs of strawberries at our local produce mart. They were $.49 each. I was thrilled to get them at such a price, but worried about eating them before they went bad. I have read about this before, but forgotten the method. Thanks again!
Love the tip! Do the berries taste like vinegar though?
Jennifer,
I have not noticed any vinegar flavor at all. They taste no different to me.
I do this all of the time and it’s amazing how long they last. Like Charlene said though, the key is to make sure the berries are completely dry! And no, you cannot taste vinegar at all!
LOVE this tip!! Can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Just read your tips am about to try it out seems good to me .thank you joan
I love the people who can not be bothered to even read the article and then ask if they taste like vinegar.
Thanks so much for sharing this tip! We never seem to eat all of the strawberries before they start going bad.
Thanks so much! I use this to wash my other fruit too. I had been told to soak for 10 minutes then rinse. (I have been doing grapes,berries,apples and nectarines)
I think I maybe doing this wrong.
Do I rinse off the solution or just set them out to dry??
How long is the soak?
They actually sell Tupperware especially made for fruit and veges to last longer so it can vent according to the fruit or vege called FridgeSmart. I know this because I sell Tupperware 🙂
Does it matter what kind of vinegar you use?
Kerri do you mean the brand? No that doesn’t matter. Just use any plain white vinegar you have.
I always rinse the fruit after soaking it, should I not do that?
Can you use apple cider vinegar instead of regular?
I am glad I found this tip as I really want to keep lots of strawberries. Strawberries are really expensive here and I always buy in bulk and preserve the berries whenever they are available. Thank you.
having just had two packs of fresh raspberries go mouldy the day after I bought them, I am pleased to find this tip. Thanks for sharing.
I have been doing this for two weeks now and it really works. Prevents the mold and no vinegar taste!
I’ve been doing this about two weeks now and it really works! One day vinegar will cure cancer..hah