It’s BERRY time! Here on the homestead gorgeous strawberries are ripening just as fast as we can pick them. If not eaten fresh, jammed or put into a dessert berries go bad quit quickly. I hate it when I find spoiled berries, those at the bottom of the bowl especially “go fast.” So how to keep the berries a wee bit longer till we can cook or can ’em?
Food Lush blogs says that:
The key to preventing moldy berries? Vinegar! 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 strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft.
What’s are your tips and tricks do you use on your homestead to keep fruits and produce fresh?
Front Porch Farm Stand
Certified organic strawberries now available. Limited quantities, come and get ’em as they go fast!
Also, in the little nursery we carry 6 pk of strawberry plants to help you “Grow Your Own Groceries.”
Open Sun thru Fri 10 AM – 8 PM
Comments(14)
Pam says:
May 3, 2012 at 12:08 pmWhat a great tip! Here I’ve been freezing any I didn’t think we would eat in a few days. Freezing is fine if you don’t mind waiting for the thaw.
Bandana Mama says:
May 3, 2012 at 12:13 pmWe just bought a juicer and are trying to deal with keeping produce fresh. This was just what I needed to know today. Thank you!
Carrie @ LPOHH says:
May 3, 2012 at 12:29 pmThank you for this tip! This will come in handy when strawberry season begins here in Indiana – just a few more weeks! Frozen berries are great in jam and smoothies, but I prefer fresh. Thanks again!
Glenda says:
May 3, 2012 at 1:01 pmMy husband loves fresh organic strawberries and we just planted 75 plants so, hopefully, next year we’ll have our own berries. Last year I purchased them, when on sale, from the organic market close by. When I brought them home I washed them, sliced them, and packed them in pint canning jars. Then I sprinkled organic sugar on them, put on the lid, and froze them; worked great and they were wonderful when thawed. I didn’t add any liquid to the jar which helped them taste fresh when thawed.
Jackie A. says:
May 3, 2012 at 5:20 pmOOOhhh! what a great blog, Anais, thanks for sharing.
Aimee says:
May 3, 2012 at 7:05 pmWhat a great tip! I will have to try it when I buy strawberries next week.
Bethany says:
May 3, 2012 at 7:06 pmMy kids eat strawberries so fast, this hasn’t ever been a problem for us! 🙂 We love them!
Rosa says:
May 4, 2012 at 12:00 pmHow do you keep the berries from going moldy on the plants? I find that mine mold on the plant right before they are almost perfect and ready to pick.
Katie says:
May 4, 2012 at 7:16 pmI bet you could spray them with vinegar and water solution, like you spray plants that have spider mites with soapy water.
elaine nieves says:
May 5, 2012 at 10:34 amThat’s a great tip to prevent moldy strawberries! Very handy! I have a question regarding how do you get to leave your berries on the plant long enough for them to really ripen when the birds and squirrels seem to peck or bite them or just completely eat them before they are totally ripe. Help!
Gina Sen says:
May 7, 2012 at 9:42 amI cut or pinch the green tops off the berries and keep them in the same container they came in if it’s plastic with vented holes. Don’t wash them until ready to use, the moisture will create more mold and mildew. This kept my strawberries in the fridge for a few weeks. By the end of a few weeks, they’re shriveling up from lack of moisture, but still edible for cereals, smoothies, and yogurt.
Maggie says:
May 15, 2012 at 1:28 amThis is a fantastic tip! We’re just reaching the end of our strawberry harvest this year, our first! It has been so much fun for the little one to help pick the berries and think she’s helping to make the jam. We are growing the “Earliglow” varieties and it really looks like they’re trying to produce some runners. Any tips on propagating these to share with friends? Or do you recommend another variety that has a very sweet taste? Thanks for your great post!
VYNNIE says:
June 4, 2012 at 8:29 pmSweet idea. Just in time for my crazy strawberry summer here in phoenix. Think I’m gonna take it a couple steps further and try this with my tomatoes and citrus.
You guys are so awesome! Excited to visit some day!
David Harris says:
September 21, 2012 at 7:07 amOzone generators that produce ozone will help prevent mold on any fruit so they could be sprayed or washed in ozonated water after picking see our website and click on ozoneinnovations