Storing Strawberries

Strawberries are a wonderful tasty treat to have in your garden. However, they can spoil quickly once they are ripe. Storing them properly will ensure you can enjoy them even longer. This is a guide about storing strawberries.

Solutions: Storing Strawberries

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Storing Strawberries

Stop strawberries from spoiling and make them last 7-10 days by washing berries well and setting them on a paper towel to dry. Turn them over after an hour. When they are completely dry, line the plastic box or container they came in with a paper towel. Put berries back in box and close lid. That's it. You'll rarely have to throw any of them away again.

I was desperate over loosing my berries to mold so one day I thought I would try doing this and, to my surprise, it worked. I bet if you tried the same thing with tomatoes, it will prevent them from over ripening too.

By GloriaZ from Hoffman Estates, IL

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Preparing Strawberries for Storage

When I buy ripe strawberries that are in the plastic clam shell type packaging, I look through it and remove any bruised berries. I fold a paper towel and put it on top of the berries. I flip the container over so it is upside down, and refrigerate. The berries usually last up to a week or more. The key is to keep the berries as dry as possible. This also applies to all produce.

By mkymlp from NE PA

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Juicy Sliced Berries

If you want juicy sliced berries, add a little sugar or corn syrup to them and let them chill in the fridge until you are ready to eat them. The sugar brings out the sweetness and the juice.

By Linda

Editor's Note: A little honey also works well for this.

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Keeping Your Just Picked Strawberries

Strawberry picking is arriving. To keep them fresh, store them in a cool dry place. Make sure you wash them in cold water. Then blot dry with paper towels. If you want to freeze them hull them, wash them and blot them dry. Put a single layer in a parchment lined pan. Freeze them for one hour then put them in ziploc bags.

By Gary from NJ

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Questions

Here are questions related to Storing Strawberries.

Storing Strawberries in the Refrigerator

What is the best way to keep strawberries in the refrigerator?

By Renee from Omaha

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RE: Storing Strawberries in the Refrigerator

By happily retired04/08/2010

Tupperware sells four different size containers that are blue green and have ridges in the bottom. Also on the side are two white buttons to push to open a couple of small holes for air circulation. They are perfect to keep unwashed strawberries for up to a week or more. The smaller one holds a small plastic clamshell of strawberries from grocery stores. By the way, I'm not a Tupperware dealer but am thrilled to find that container. I just found the name in a catalog. They are "Fridge-Smart."

RE: Storing Strawberries in the Refrigerator

By kathyj31104/08/2010

What I have done for years is this; I wash the strawberries and cut them up into the desired size pieces. I put them in a container with a cover (like Tupperware).

I then add a bit of sugar or sweetener (I add one or 2 packs of sweet and low for every container) and add enough water to cover the berries. They last that way for weeks-I use them on my cold cereal all year long. In the summer they are great on top of angel food or pound cake with some whipped cream or Cool Whip. Yum! You can also do this with other berries!

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Storing Strawberries

By Jennifer A. Wickes Question:

I have a question. Whenever I buy strawberries, it seems that they don't last long in the fridge. I know that I can freeze them, but was wondering if anyone could give me some tips on storing them in the fridge longer without them going bad. Thanks,

Sue

Answer:

Sue,

Strawberries, due to their size, cannot last more than 4 - 5 days in the refrigerator. Store unwashed berries on a paper towel in a single layer, in a moisture-proof container for 2 - 3 days. When freezing, place on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze. When completely frozen, place in an airtight container for 2 - 3 months.

Thanks!
Jennifer A. Wickes

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About The Author: Jennifer A. Wickes is a freelance food writer, recipe developer and cookbook reviewer. She has written several eBooks, and has had numerous articles, reviews and recipes in printed publications, as well as on-line. She is working on her first cookbook. For more information about Jennifer or her work, please visit her home page:
http://home.comcast.net/~culinaryjen/Home.html

RE: Storing Strawberries

I always put a paper towel at the bottom of my bowl to absorb the extra moisture. Also, I wash and de-stem them when I purchase them; that way, I'm sure to notice any bad spots and cut them off before the seem to spread! (07/11/2005)

RE: Storing Strawberries

Always wash the berries BEFORE you cap them, otherwise the water will get inside of the berry and cause them to go bad faster.

Happy eating! (07/12/2005)

By Connie H

RE: Storing Strawberries

I grow 4 different kinds of strawberries here on my acreage. I find that each kind of strawberry stores differently. One kind is an old variety that I cannot even leave overnight without it starting to go moldy so I have to clean it up as soon as possible, but it is a very very tasty small solid red berry. Another kind is very tasty, large, red throughout and keeps for days and days without mold, at least a week in the fridge.

I rinse the berries with the stems on and destem then, or not destem and store in the fridge uncovered. They will last for days in there. When freezing them, I cut the berries into manageable sized pieces, put a little sugar on them, toss to coat and place in ziploc bags. There again, the heritage variety is better for jam because when frozen it doesn't keep its shape as it thaws, whereas the Maxim strawberry keeps its shape even after being frozen.

Strawberries that are bought from the store can be days and days old already BEFORE you buy them. How long they will keep in your fridge is directly linked to the kind of berry they are and how old they were before you purchased them. (07/21/2005)

By valleyrimgirl

RE: Storing Strawberries

They don't last long for me either. Just buy as much as you can use in 3 days and check the package for signs of mold or drippings. (07/21/2005)

By cookwie

RE: Storing Strawberries

Store unwashed berries in a glass jar, with the lid in the fridge. They will really last a week! This tip comes from a U-Pick strawberry farm. (07/24/2005)

By carolb

RE: Storing Strawberries

What my mom does is puts them in an airtight bag and freezes them. She just made strawberry cheesecake the other day with the frozen strawberries(they were frozen for about 2 1/2 weeks) and it was delicious! (07/28/2005)

By Jasmine

RE: Storing Strawberries

I am 10 and I am doing a Science Fair project with strawberries. My question is," Which thing will store strawberries longer, ziploc bags, press'n seal or cling wrap. Which do YOU think will work? (11/07/2005)

By Heidi

RE: Storing Strawberries

Following a tip a friend got at a strawberry festival, I always fridge my strawberries in an airtight container with a paper towel at the bottom. Usually one layer but sometimes some stragglers lay on top. They seem to last about a week for me. (07/02/2008)

By Regina