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How To Keep Strawberries Fresh

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Strawberries, oh how we love thee. What would we do without these juicy, sweet red berries?  Think about it, no strawberry ice cream or strawberry shortcakes. They really are a favorite fruit, and thanks to all the farmer’s markets and roadside strawberry stands we can buy these berries all summer long. Here are some great tips on How to Keep Strawberries Fresh so they stay sweet and tasty.

The Easy Way to Store Strawberries

A flat of fresh strawberries.
 

 

 

 

 

 

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Did you know?

  • Strawberries are grown worldwide and are the most popular berry.
  • Strawberries are the only fruit that has seeds on the outside. 

During the summer, I usually buy three baskets of strawberries every week. We mostly just cut them up and eat them plain, or we add to our salads,  smoothies, and water for a delightful fruity taste. But the thing is I want the strawberries to look just as fresh as when I bought them days later. Right!!

just picked

Basket of strawberries.
 
There is nothing worse than buying some gorgeous plump strawberries only to find them in your refrigerator shriveled up, soft, leathery, and maybe even moldy.  This happens eventually but by following these tips you can keep your berries fresher longer.

left in the fridge without tender loving care

A pint of old strawberries.
 

The Care and Keeping of Strawberries

Once you get your berries home make sure to get them into the refrigerator because these berries like to stay cold. Then follow these steps to keep these red berries beautiful and delicious.

1.  First and foremost – Do Not Wash The Strawberries – wash them when you are ready to eat them.
2.  Get a flat container with a lid large enough to hold the berries in a single layer. I love my Tupperware container, but other containers with a tight-fitting lid will work just as well.
3.  Put a layer of or two of paper towel on the bottom of the container
4.  Put the strawberries on top of the paper towels in a single layer
5.  Put another piece of paper towel on top of the strawberries
6.  Cover with the lid and put in the fridge
7.  When you take the strawberries out of the fridge to eat, wipe off the condensation on the lid – berries do not like moisture. Sometimes I will replace the top layer of paper towels to keep the berries dryer.

Steps to keep strawberries fresh.

 

Condensation on a lid keeping strawberries.

There you have it.  Follow this simple trick for keeping your strawberries cold and dry and your berries will stay fresher longer.

How to use those not so perfect strawberries

Remember those poor red berries above, I just left them in the fridge to fend for themselves and they have lost their bright red color, the green tops are dried up and are just not fresh. They just are not what you want to snack on, but don’t throw them away because they still have some great uses.
 

Tips for using old strawberries

  1. Pick over the berries to make sure they are not molded then rinse the berries, dry completely then cut off the green tops.  Put the berries in a plastic freezer bag and freeze for baking.
  2. Use older berries for strawberry jam.
  3. Make strawberry butter for toast, biscuits, and pancakes.
  4. Make a quick strawberry sauce to add to desserts. You can even freeze the strawberry sauce for later.

One last set of tips before you go. Here is the best way to wash your berries.

  1.  Fill a bowl with water and add a splash of white vinegar. The vinegar will kill the bacteria on the strawberries.
  2. Let soak for about five minutes.
  3. Drain the vinegar water and rinse the berries.

Let’s make some delicious strawberry desserts

Strawberry Curd Tarts are a perfect summer dessert filled with fresh strawberry curd in flaky pastry shells.

Strawberry Curd Tarts

 
Strawberry Raspberry Mousse is a cool and fruity dessert with the flavor of cheesecake and the texture of a mousse. Everything to love in a dessert.
 
frozen strawberry and raspberry cheesecke.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strawberry Chardonnay Gelee is such a refreshing cold dessert with a deep velvety strawberry flavor.
Don’t forget to Pin for later when you have fresh strawberries to keep.
Two glasses of wine gelee.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Here are some of my favorite strawberry items you might like too.

My favorite container to store my berries in is the  8' x 11' Tupperware Modular Mate container.  The size is perfect for several pints of berries and the tight-fitting lid is perfect for keeping the berries fresh.
 
Glass berry baskets are a fun way to serve your berries and to make hulling strawberries easier try using a strawberry huller.
Container with a blue lid.Four glass berry baskets.A strawberry huller.

First Published: June 24, 2019… Last Updated: Feb. 12, 2021

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About Jere’

From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending.  Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory recipes with all my baking friends.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marthana Sharp

    I have that exact piece of tupperware so I can’t wait for strawberry season, I am so trying your tip for keeping strawberries fresh. I am tired of throwing so many away. Thanks so much.

    Reply

  4. Kushi

    Thank you so much for sharing the tips and tricks to keep them fresh. I always discard most of it as it turns bad quickly. I will refer this for sure next time I bring strawberries.

    Reply

  6. Kelly Anthony

    This is a great post on how to keep strawberries fresh longer. I’ve been following these steps for years and it really does make a huge difference.

    Reply

  7. Amanda

    This is so helpful! I always load up on fresh berries during the summer, and sometimes I have a hard time eating them fast enough. Great tips!

    Reply

  8. Stine Mari

    Strawberry season is incredibly short in Norway and I tend to spend a few weeks of that season on vacation (like now!), so when I get home I always buy a BIG tray of strawberries. I will definitely use this guide when I do so, I haven’t used paper towels like that before. Great tips.

    Reply

  9. Mirlene

    That was so interesting to read about the seeds on the outside! 🙂 In fact, I am storing strawberries similar to what you are describing. It works every time!

    Reply

  10. April

    This is the biggest challenge, no doubt. In fact, not only with strawberries but pretty much anything else. But yes, it is fresh strawberries that can really make a difference. Love the tip on paper towel pieces!

    Reply

  12. Mikayla

    I always go nuts at those roadside stands and buy half a flat! This post is exactly what I needed to keep them good for as long as possible. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Jere Cassidy

      The best strawberry stand is 45 minutes away from me and if I know I won’t back soon I buy a 1/2 flat which is more than I need but this trick definitely keeps them fresher longer.

      Reply

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