Best Way to Store Strawberries

There’s nothing fairly like consuming a superbly ripe strawberry on a sizzling summer season day. The candy, floral aroma virtually screams summer season. Yearly I look ahead to their tart punch that’s completely balanced by their alluring sweetness. The mere considered them is sufficient to get me by way of the chilly, berry-less winters.

However recent strawberries are costly, and there’s nothing worse than shopping for a pint of completely ripe strawberries just for them to go unhealthy inside a day or two. It’s a disappointing scenario I’ve skilled one too many instances, and an issue I used to be decided to assist remedy. So in an try and by no means let my recent strawberries go to waste once more, I put seven widespread strategies of storing them to the check with the hopes of creating them last more. I bought a flat of recent strawberries and saved them in seven alternative ways.

Among the storing strategies labored higher than others, however there was one clear winner that saved the strawberries completely recent for a complete week: soaking them in a vinegar-water answer. Learn on to be taught extra about why that is the perfect technique, the opposite strategies we examined, and to study a super-simple answer that’s nearly nearly as good as our prime choose in the event you’re pressed for time.

The very first thing I did was search the web for probably the most dependable and trusted strategies of storing recent strawberries. Some strategies have been all concerning the containers they get saved in, whereas others targeted on washing and processing methods which might be mentioned to increase their shelf life. After touchdown on the seven widespread strategies beneath, each was put to the check. I bought my strawberries (all from the identical market and on the identical day) and stashed them in my fridge after storing them by way of their respective strategies.

The judging standards was easy: Every morning I might test in on the berries to see how they have been trying. Any strawberries that began to melt, darken, or flip a burgundy/brown-ish coloration I thought-about “spoiled” for the sake of the check. (However don’t fear — these ones have been put to make use of in a home made jam.) On the finish of the week I tallied up what number of berries spoiled and decided a winner. The profitable technique has now grow to be my go-to technique of storing any number of recent berries I buy.

About this technique: In an try and make prepping strawberries as simple as doable, I examined the unimaginable and pre-hulled a complete pint of strawberries to see if they’d final. If I may retailer strawberries already hulled so that they have been really grab-and-go, I actually wouldn’t be mad. To imitate related experiments on-line, we hulled the strawberries and saved them cut-side down. I grabbed a pan that allowed sufficient area to retailer a complete pint of berries in it and lined them up. I popped it within the fridge uncovered and checked on it every day. Positive, it was a wild concept, however I simply actually needed ready-to-eat-strawberries.

Outcomes: After seven days all of the berries went unhealthy. The berries dried up, shriveled, and the cut-end turned a horrible grey coloration. I knew this check can be a toss-up, however I used to be dissatisfied nonetheless.

My takeaway: Hulling strawberries upfront is a foul concept. The minimize sides find yourself turning brown, softening, and looking out very ugly. Some strategies on-line advocate storing pre-hulled strawberries in zip-top baggage or saved on prime of a paper towel, so it may have been a misstep on our half, however both method I don’t foresee hulled strawberries lasting over every week within the fridge.

About this technique: This technique got here from famous meals author Harold McGee, who focuses on the intersection of meals science and cooking. His e-book On Meals and Cooking is hailed as one of many final culinary science assets, so I knew we would have liked to incorporate his technique as a part of the lineup. His technique contains dunking berries in a pot of 125°F water (which is sizzling however not fairly simmering) for 30 seconds, then transferring them onto a paper towel-lined sheet tray within the fridge. The new water tub is alleged to suppress mildew development, thus making the berries last more.

Outcomes: By day seven a bit greater than half of the strawberries had spoiled — which was stunning given how a lot effort (and science!) went into this storage technique. It didn’t actually appear to be the new water tub did all that a lot, and the vast majority of the strawberries regarded relatively unhappy.

My takeaway: This technique was a little bit of a undertaking, and I don’t suppose it was price the additional effort and time it took. I didn’t see a lot of an enchancment (if any) by way of how lengthy the berries lasted and don’t advocate taking the additional time to do that. My guess is that the berries have been too moist, which triggered them to spoil sooner. By the top of the week the paper towel was damp and appeared to be contributing to the spoilage, so it’s doable I didn’t allow them to dry sufficient earlier than popping them within the fridge.

Learn extra: This Nerdy-but-Good Trick Retains Berries Recent for Longer

About this technique: Some of the widespread strategies for storing berries is solely rinsing them off and storing them in a paper towel-lined container. This fashion you’ll be able to eat your strawberries everytime you’re craving them with out having to scrub them off — a meal-prepper’s dream! For this check we sorted by way of a pint of strawberries (discarding any berries that have been on their final leg), rinsed them off, positioned them in a container lined with paper towels, popped a lid on, and stashed them within the fridge.

Outcomes: By the top of the week rather less than half of the strawberries had spoiled. The paper towel was moist and the components of the strawberries that have been touching it appeared to be spoiling sooner.

My takeaway: Storing moist strawberries within the fridge is confirmed to be but once more a recipe for catastrophe. The paper towel ended up getting damp and the berries went unhealthy pretty shortly. By day 5 I may inform that this technique wasn’t working that effectively. Nevertheless you retailer your strawberries, ensure they’re utterly dry earlier than stashing them within the fridge.

About this technique: One technique I had seen a handful of consultants counsel is storing recent strawberries in an hermetic glass jar (like a Mason jar). You simply place your unwashed strawberries straight into the jar, screw the lid on, and pop it within the fridge. Some sources declare this technique would preserve the berries recent for as much as two weeks (!), so I used to be excited to offer it a attempt.

Outcomes: By the top of the week solely a 3rd of the strawberries confirmed any indicators of spoilage. The hermetic jar appeared to maintain the berries a lot more energizing than storing them on an uncovered sheet pan. The strawberries in direction of the underside of the jar appeared to spoil the quickest, in all probability as a result of they have been bearing the burden of the opposite berries on prime of them, however they general stayed fairly recent.

My takeaway: Though the berries have been a bit arduous to get out and in of the jar, this technique labored surprisingly effectively. It saved the berries comparatively recent, however was a little bit of a ache. The jar couldn’t maintain a complete pint of strawberries, so though it was profitable, the strategy just isn’t that sensible.

About this technique: If we have been going to check if storing strawberries on paper towels would assist preserve them recent, we would have liked to attempt it out on each rinsed and unrinsed berries. This check was the latter technique. We merely sorted by way of the strawberries, selecting out any that regarded unhealthy from the beginning, and positioned them in a paper towel-lined container with a lid and stashed it within the fridge.

Outcomes: By the top of the week the paper towel had absorbed an honest quantity of liquid and was stained crimson in some locations — suggesting that it had absorbed a few of the extra liquid that may have in any other case contributed to creating them spoil faster. By day seven solely a couple of fifth of the berries had spoiled. This technique labored considerably higher than storing rinsed strawberries on paper towels, suggesting that maintaining the berries dry performs a big function in how lengthy they keep recent for.

My takeaway: This technique labored effectively and solely resulted in a small quantity of spoilage. About 20% of the strawberries spoiled, which was considerably lower than storing them on paper towels after rinsing, however nonetheless not a revelation.

About this technique: We included this technique as a management to evaluate the remainder of the assessments. We merely sorted by way of the container of strawberries and discarded any that have been already going unhealthy, then added them again to the container and saved them within the fridge. That’s it.

Outcomes: To my shock, by day seven hardly any of the strawberries had spoiled. Nearly all of them have been nonetheless recent and vibrant, and just a few of them confirmed any indicators of spoiling.

My takeaway: This technique was by far the best, and the outcomes have been fairly nice. The container saved the berries a lot more energizing than a lot of the different storage containers, and it took virtually no time. Not rinsing the berries made positive they they have been dry, and the container appeared to offer them sufficient air circulation with out being uncovered. If you happen to’re pressed for time, storing berries of their unique containers works simply advantageous.

About this technique: This is among the commonest strategies I noticed on the web, and I used to be keen to offer it a attempt. You dunk strawberries in a water tub made with 1 half white vinegar and three components water, drain them, then dry them as totally as doable. Food52 instructed drying them in a salad spinner lined with paper towels for added insurance coverage that they’d get dry, in order that’s precisely what I did. As soon as dried, you switch the strawberries right into a paper towel-lined container, loosely place the lid on (don’t seal it), and pop them within the fridge.

Outcomes: By the top of the week virtually not one of the strawberries had gone unhealthy. I didn’t should discard a single one and the one noticeable spoilage was a number of darkish spots right here and there. And since the berries have been totally dried in a salad spinner, the paper towel was nonetheless virtually utterly dry by day seven.

My takeaway: This technique takes effort and time to do, however relying on what number of strawberries you will have (or how costly they have been) it’s positively price it. The strawberries stayed recent, vibrant, and agency the complete week and confirmed virtually no indicators of spoilage. They regarded as if I had simply taken them house from the shop and have been (nearly) as recent as day one.

When it got here to storing strawberries, moisture appeared to be the most important enemy. You wish to ensure your berries are utterly dry earlier than stashing them within the fridge, so I counsel holding off on washing them till you’re able to eat them or totally drying them in a salad spinner. If you happen to’re pressed for time, merely storing the strawberries of their unique container after discarding any which might be on the point of spoiling is a good choice — however if in case you have additional time, soaking them in a vinegar-water answer and drying them afterwards is an effective way to increase their shelf life.

Your flip: What’s your go-to technique for storing recent strawberries? Tell us within the feedback!