How to store fresh strawberries to make them last more than 24 hours in the refrigerator:Strawberries are a delicious fruit, which unfortunately we only find for a few months a year. Whether you want to enjoy them plain or with cream, or use them to prepare delicious desserts, it is good to store strawberries in the right way, to preserve their taste and quality. If you want to set them aside for the winter as well, you can always freeze them and take them out of the freezer if necessary.
How to store fresh strawberries: tips and tricks
To store strawberries in the fridge, choose a large, clean plastic or, even better, glass food container. It is important to leave a container open so that the strawberries can get some air. Alternatively, you can also keep them in a colander.Line the container with absorbent paper, to eliminate excess moisture and to be able to keep them in a place as dry as possible.
Clean the strawberries, removing the stalks and any damaged parts. Place them upside down, with the top resting on the bottom of the container. Arrange them as far as possible from each other, so that they do not touch: they will keep longer.
If you intend to keep them for several days, let the strawberries do a short passage in the vinegar, soaking them for a few seconds before draining and drying them well.
Change the container
Strawberries are sold in plastic trays that do not allow the fruits to take in too much air, so the first thing to do is to replace the container. This also allows you to check that inside the package there are no fruits already moldy or bruised by the weight of the other strawberries. Choose a plastic or glass container strictly without a lid and line it with absorbent paper. Finally, make sure it is large enough to allow air to pass between one fruit and another.
Don’t wash the strawberries
This is a rule that applies to all fruit but for strawberries it is mandatory: never wash them if you don’t eat them immediately. Humidity favors the proliferation of bacteria and within a few hours you could find fruit covered with mold or completely rotten. Similarly, if you want to keep the strawberries for a few more days, do not remove the stalk with the leaves. If necessary, blot any excess moisture with absorbent paper, in order to keep fruit completely dry. Strawberries should be washed and cleaned before storage only if you intend to freeze them.
How To Store Fresh Strawberries;10 Tips
Separate bruised strawberries from healthy ones
Another small trick to make strawberries last longer is to separate the bruised fruits from the intact ones. In each package there are always intact strawberries and some still good but with some small dents, leaving them close together and you risk compromising the whole tray. Keep the slightly marked fruits aside and consume them before the others. Check the “health” of your strawberries at least once a day, in order to immediately eliminate any rotten fruit.
Store the strawberries in the refrigerator
It will seem obvious to repeat it but to keep strawberries longer it is essential to place them in the fridge, in a container lined with absorbent paper and without a lid. If you follow all the instructions I have given you so far, you can make your strawberries last up to a week and indulge yourself in the preparation of your favorite recipes.
