by Katie
Berries, particularly super-fresh berries, are just wonderful, aren't they?
Image: Healthyfellow.com
But they're also kind of delicate. Raspberries in particular seem like they can mold before you even get them home from the market. There's nothing more tragic than paying $4 for a pint of local raspberries, only to look in the fridge the next day and find that fuzzy mold growing on their insides.
Well, with fresh berries just starting to hit farmers markets, you can tell that we Foodlush writers have berries, and how to keep them fresh, on the brain this week! First Jonna shared this excellent tip on how to salvage berries that are starting to lose their luster. Now I'm here to share a tip on how to prevent them from getting there in the first place:
Wash them with vinegar.
A friend of mine shared this tip with me a few weeks ago, and it really, really works. When you get your berries home, prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider probably work best) and ten parts water. Dump the berries into the mixture and swirl around. Drain, rinse if you want (though the mixture is so diluted I find you can't taste the vinegar,) and pop in the fridge.
The vinegar kills any mold spores and other bacteria that might be on the surface of the fruit, and voila! Raspberries will last a week or more, and I've had strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft. So go forth and stock up on those pricey little gems, knowing they'll stay fresh as long as it takes you to eat them.
This is brilliant.
Posted by: Amy | July 26, 2011 at 03:22 PM
CANNOT wait to try this out! Moldy berries always happen to me.
You all seriously are some of my favorite people ever-making kitchens happy since 2010!
Posted by: Dawn K. | July 26, 2011 at 03:23 PM
Amazing!
Posted by: Christy | July 26, 2011 at 03:50 PM
Yeah, you're a miracle worker.
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Posted by: catholinesmith | July 27, 2011 at 02:24 AM
Does it make them taste like vinegar?
Posted by: Brian | July 27, 2011 at 02:41 AM
Katie, this is fantastic. Thank you!
Brian, Katie answers that in the article.
Posted by: Caitlin | July 27, 2011 at 01:40 PM
I have brand new raspberries in my fridge just waiting for this treatment. Fantastic!
Posted by: Sara @ Belle Plaine | July 27, 2011 at 05:37 PM
Who knew?!?!? That is brilliant. I'm anticipating picking my raspberry patch this evening and will most certainly try this!
Thanks!
Marj Eldard
Posted by: Marj Eldard | August 02, 2011 at 03:57 PM
Will it work with blue berries also?
Posted by: Lisa | August 02, 2011 at 04:22 PM
AAAHHHHHHH!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! I sooo needed this. Will do, and share. :D
Posted by: Mistieja | August 02, 2011 at 05:23 PM
This information makes me sooooooo HAPPY!!!
Posted by: Sarah Booth | August 02, 2011 at 06:37 PM
Ok, so once you do this how do you store the berries in the fridge?
Posted by: Debra | August 04, 2011 at 04:22 AM
Lisa- I've never tried it with blueberries, but I don't see why not-- I tend not to have blueberries go bad on me as quickly as, say, raspberries. But the vinegar wash certainly can't hurt- it'll clean any icky stuff off the berries for a lot less than a fancy fruit wash product.
Debra-
For raspberries, I drain thoroughly, then line a bowl with a paper towel and toss them in there. For strawberries, I just store them in a small mesh colander right in the fridge.
Posted by: Katie | August 04, 2011 at 12:35 PM
How about grapes? My biggest problem has always been grapes.
Posted by: Carrie R. | August 04, 2011 at 01:40 PM
This is a tip that is useful and more importantly... easy to remember.
Posted by: Cris Ronk | August 04, 2011 at 09:10 PM
Thanks! No more icky berries.
Posted by: Val @ mental chew | August 05, 2011 at 03:37 AM
Great Tip!
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Thanks and take care!
Posted by: celia K | August 08, 2011 at 11:55 AM
I am so happy I had this link shared with me. I am entering a lot in our local country fair and I lost FIVE batches of strawberries before I was able to slice and prep/freeze them. I am going to do this with the batch I get this weekend.
Posted by: Momma_Nix | August 10, 2011 at 12:05 PM
What a great tip! I love fresh berries, but I cry when they mold!
Posted by: Ariel | August 15, 2011 at 12:56 AM
Super Tip! I already use vinegar for a great number of things. But looky here I have just learned a new use. :) Thank you so much!
Posted by: Adam McPherson | August 15, 2011 at 05:45 PM
Totally works! My raspberries usually only last a day or two and most of the time they either go to waste or I avoid buying. Tried washing them in apple vinegar and they stayed fresh for a week. So happy I can buy berries without fearing anymore.
Posted by: Cake Phillington | August 18, 2011 at 12:29 AM
I tried this and my strawberries were still moldy 2 days later.
Posted by: Gyms health clubs | September 02, 2011 at 04:44 AM
My dog's holistic vet recommends to wash all fruit/vegetables with apple cider vinegar because it's healthier, natural, and now I know that it kills mold spores! I've been doing it for a couple years now, but I've never noticed that it makes fruits last longer. To be fair, I don't like to leave fruits especially raspberries alone too long in the refrigerator :)
Posted by: nvteach | September 10, 2011 at 03:08 AM
wondering whether this would work with all produce ... why not?
Posted by: Sam | September 14, 2011 at 11:32 PM