The boys and I visited our local Farmers Market for the first time last week. It was small but I was pleasantly surprised by what the had to offer. I was excited to find cut hydrangeas but for the boys strawberries were the main attraction.
They really wanted to get the large basket but I was nervous about them going bad before we could eat them all. I remembered reading a tip on Pinterest about washing berries in a 1:10 mixture of white vinegar in water to kill mold spores. I figured it was worth a shot.
I filled the sink with enough cold water to cover the basket of berries, added about a cup of white vinegar and swished it around to be sure they were all rinsed well. I gave them a quick water rinse afterwards and that was it.
Over a week later and the strawberries are still going strong so it seems to have done the trick! I tried this on raspberries too and it was a definite improvement although they didn’t last as long as the strawberries.
Do you have any tips for keeping produce fresher longer? I’d love to hear them-I hate throwing out food.
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Very smart of you to put the container in the vinegar bath, too, so the acid could kill any mold spores on its surface. Most people forget that step, then complain that the vinegar bath didn’t work!
I’ll have to try that tip.
I can’t wait to try this!
I’ve done this with strawberries also, but used apple cider vinegar instead. It works wonderfully!
do you put the berries in the fridge after washing them, or leave them out? I feel berries taste best if left out, but then they also go bad quicker. Will this help them stay fresh out of the fridge longer?
I always keep mine in the fridge, I’ve never tried leaving them out. Maybe I should set up an experiment to see if it makes a difference in how long they last?
I love your site. I’m a guy who likes to cook and you have great recipes for summer. I was wondering have you used any special filters to extend fruit & produce shelf life? During the summer all those lovely veggies and berries are available but spoil so fast. I have a great filter for you to try, the world’s only fully recyclable food safe desiccant filter. Its ingredients are all natural, “food safe” minerals that absorb more moisture, odors and ethylene gas, than any other similar-sized product. Place a DSP-30 in your refrigerator it will improve air quality and noticeable extend the shelf life of produce and fruit. If you like to try one of my filter just email me me back and I’ll be happy to send you one. If you like it and I know you will, just write about it on your site. I think it could be a great article for summer since we have access to all the farm fresh fruit & produce regardless of where we live. I have pictures from a side by side container test on strawberries to show the great results from using a filter. …..Dan Kozan