This Simple Trick Will Keep Berries Fresh for Up to 2 Weeks
We’re fast approaching the most wonderful time of the year: berry season! When warm weather rolls around, I cannot get enough sweet strawberries, plump blueberries, and juicy raspberries. And while I gobble them up by the handful, sometimes I get overzealous at the farmers market and a few end up languishing in my fridge. And if you ask me, there’s nothing sadder than a wasted berry.
Luckily, I saw this simple method for storing berries on @eatinghealthytoday’s Instagram. As @kalejunkie demonstrates, a quick soak in a water and vinegar solution followed by a thorough pat dry can help extend the life of your fresh berries.
In the caption, she recommends a solution of one part vinegar to three parts cool water and a 10-minute uninterrupted soak. Drain the fruit and rinse it well with cool water — she promises the berries won’t taste of vinegar as long as you rinse them well. Make sure you get your berries very dry, either by air drying on a clean towel or by gently patting dry, then store in the fridge in a container lined with dry paper towels.
When our very own Jesse Szewczyk tested out several methods for berry storage, the vinegar solution got top marks. He suggests placing the berries in a paper towel-lined salad spinner to get them super dry, as moisture is the biggest contributing factor to berry spoilage. He also recommends leaving the lid on the storage container slightly cracked to allow any moisture to evaporate.
I’ll be trying out this method for storing all of my summertime fruit hauls. Knowing they’ll keep for up to two weeks, I’ll buy fresh berries from the market by the pallet!