We love strawberries in the UK. A YouGov poll determined they were the most popular fruit among Brits, with 87 percent of people saying they like them. Luckily they are readily available in our supermarkets, with many of the fruits imported from warmer countries such as Spain, Egypt and Morocco.
But have you ever opened a new punnet of strawberries only to discover that they’re already starting to go bad?
Quite often perfectly ripe berries will go bad just days after you purchase them, which can be extremely frustrating and even wasteful if you end up having to throw them away.
To avoid all of this there are ways to help keep your strawberries fresh throughout the week and beyond.
The most common method of storage for fruits and vegetables is the fridge.
However, just putting the packet of strawberries straight onto a shelf is not good enough.
Experts at Real Simple revealed it is possible to keep strawberries fresh for one week in the fridge.
They said: “When stored properly in the refrigerator using one of the below methods, strawberries should stay fresh for up to one week.
“Always examine your berries for mould and other signs of spoilage before eating them.”
They listed three methods for storing strawberries in the fridge.
“Place in air-tight glassware – Transfer unwashed strawberries into a glass food storage container or mason jar and make sure it’s sealed tight,” they said.
“Paper towel method – Place a clean, dry paper towel in a container and put unwashed strawberries on top. Close the lid and place the container in the refrigerator.
“Rinse with vinegar solution – Soak strawberries in a vinegar solution (one-part white vinegar and three parts water) for a few minutes.
“Then drain them, pat them dry, and place them on a clean paper towel in a glass container. Loosely place the lid on and store in the refrigerator.”
If you’d prefer to cut the fruit before storing you can use the same methods.
Real Simple says: “You can also wrap them tightly with plastic wrap or aluminium foil. Just know that once strawberries are washed and cut, they will deteriorate more quickly than whole, unwashed berries, and generally only last three to four days in the refrigerator.”
Freezing is also an option. To do so, place the berries cut-side down on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.
Freeze the strawberries for a few hours, then place them in an air-tight container and put it back in the freezer.
This can keep them fresh for about 10 to 12 months.
To thaw frozen strawberries, move them from the freezer to the fridge, where they should stay for at least six hours.
Or you can run them under cold water for at least 30 minutes.
