***reposted from a couple of years ago***
If you haven't noticed, strawberries look so delightful now. They are ripe, a beautiful red. They smell so good too. And, as an added bonus, they seem to be on sale everywhere now. Finally fruit that doesn't look like it was shipped way before it ripe.
The only downside to these delectable strawberries is they seem to go bad so quickly! Like, the next day. I saw a tip on Pinterest and decided to test it. It basically tells you to add some vinegar to the water you wash your strawberries in.
Find a bowl big enough to hold all those yummy berries. As you probably noticed, I went shopping at Costco again!
That's probably the main reason why I need to extend their shelf life. Fill the bowl with cold water, gently move the berries arround and then drain the water. If the berries seemed really dirty repeat.
Fill the strawberry filled bowl with cold water again and then add a cap full of vinegar. Let the berries soak about 2-3 minutes, drain and rinse.
I rinse out my original container and line with a couple of paper towels. Gently transfer your rinsed strawberries back into the container.
You certainly won't get a week out of the strawberries but at least an extra day or two. Plus when they sit out already cleaned, the kids get tempted to snack too!
Hmmmmm, wonder if I should do the same thing with the big container of grapes I bought...
Let me know if this tip works for you!
Momcrieff.
Crystal
Thanks for the tip. I haven't tried it yet but I was wondering if the taste of vinegar is 9b the strawberries?
momcrieff
Thanks for sharing the paper towel idea. I'll have to try it! I hate my fruits and veggies going to waste. They are too expensive for that!
Anonymous
This does work....with grapes too. I repack my strawberries in a zip lock bag with paper towels. They last even longer I believe because the air is not getting to them. Have tried both ways and that is what seems to work best...or even an air tight bowl ( still with paper towels).
momcrieff
The germ was actually a randomly generated monster Gravatar. A monster, not a germ! But, since you are my friend, and I don't want you feeling "germy", I changed the avatars to a more geometric symbol :).
I did a quick search to see if you can create your own personalized avatar (I have my picture). Unless you use the blog program I do, it seems difficult. Who knows, that could change in a week or so!
Lori van
Why do I have a germ next to my name (or is that an alien)? How do I pick another picture?
Lori van
When I originally heard about this trick they were using it for raspberries so I think it's good for all kinds. We always eat a Costco container of raspberries within an hour or two so it hasn't been needed..but it did help us make strawberries last a bit longer! Thanks for the reminder.