We all love the vibrant colours, refreshing flavours and natural sweetness of fresh berries.
A handful of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries makes the perfect snack and helps us towards our five a day.
But no matter how delicious a fridge drawer full of fresh berries look when you get back from shopping, the sad truth is that many fresh fruits go off before we can eat them.
While freezing fresh berries is a great way to ensure they last longer, frozen fruit may not always be what you are looking for.
Luckily enough for fruit lovers, there are two very commonplace household items that can be used to considerably extend their shelf lives and prevent mould.
Ironically enough, it is the natural process of ripening that causes fruit to go rotten. When enzymes break down the sugars and acids they create an environment for bacteria and fungi to thrive.
Creating an acidic environment that inhibits the growth of bacteria and mould helps to slow down the decomposition process.
A hack being shared on TikTok has come up with an easy but effective way to do just that.
Washing berries in white vinegar before storing them can help to wash off any mould spores that could potentially spread to the rest of your fruit basket.
To do this wash the berries in one part vinegar and eight parts cold water and a little baking soda, before using a salad spinner and cold water to rinse out the vinegar to remove the taste.
The mild abrasiveness of the baking soda helps break down residue and removes dirt, leaving the fruit cleaner and safer to eat.
The berries can then be dried on a clean towel before going into the fridge.
In the video, TikTok content creator Danielle Brown said: “The vinegar will remove bacteria and prevent mould, making your berries last for weeks.
“You won’t believe how much dirt and sometimes bugs come off your berries.”
This method does not work to “cure” any berries that have already gone mouldy, meaning those would need to be picked out prior to being washed and stored.
Using vinegar is said to extend the shelf lives of berries by at least another week, giving you delicious fruit for longer and helping to reduce food waste.
