Keeping Cherries and Blueberries

I put my fresh from the grocery store blueberries and cherries into separate Freshvac containers from Target. These containers have little dials on the top with the calendar number date as reminders. So far, I am more impressed with the keeping qualities for the blueberries, but as cherries may be more delicate, this could be the reason. I have had the cherries for a week now (internet articles say they last about 3 days in the fridge) and they are starting to look very not so pretty, whereas the blueberries (also supposed to last 3 days in the fridge) look as fresh as the day I bought them.

Based on someone's suggestion, I placed strips of paper towel on the top of the berries to absorb excess moisture and I replace the towels daily as required. This has made all the difference in the keeping qualities for both types fruit as condensation builds up on the lid underside.

I have also noticed that the Freshvac seals, once they have been properly burped and concaved, need a second burping so they don't pop back up in a couple of hours. The containers are burped by locking down the handles, lifting and then lowering the tab and pressing hard with finger on center of the lid several times. I don't know if these food storage containers functioned so well because I had the presence of mind to use paper towels to absorb moisture, or because they just are better than other commonly available airtight storage systems.

Originally, I had Tupperwares all over the place, barely stacked, frequently tumbling and lids not co-operating. Switched long ago to plastic nesting storage by another company which shattered when dropped on the floor. And so on. It's been an uphill battle for neatness and nesting ability. These Freshvacs fit inside each other when using different sizes, which is a great help. I am hoping I still have my Tupperware collection and will test with the paper towel on the top method to see if the fresh highly perishable fruit will last as long.

By Holly from Richardson, TX