It’s advised to wash essentially all fruit or veg before consumption as a way to remove any excess dirt, bacteria, and pesticides, which could be harmful.
But, food scientist Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking: The Science And Lore Of The Kitchen, insists the trick to making the red delight last longer is washing it in hot water.
Harold adds that this destroys heat-sensitive bacteria and contaminated mould spores on the fruit’s surface.
The book was first published in 1984, revised in 2004, after Harold read an agricultural journal which detailed the best method for extending the life of strawberries.
Upon reading the journal, the author decided to test its findings, eventually discovering that strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries washed in 51ºC water for 30 seconds “fared best,” producing just a single mouldy berry out of 30.
“Why is it that delicate berries can survive heat high enough to kill mould and injure fingers?” McGee contemplated in a 2009 piece for the New York Times. “Probably because they have to do so in the field.”
This method, known as thermotherapy, involves dunking the berries in warm water for around half a minute, then recommends drying them thoroughly before storing them in a fridge with good airflow.
It works incredibly effectively at utilising the strawberries’ ability to withstand heat, which allows them to grow in the field.
To make sure your strawberries arn’t spoiling, you do not have to follow the exact temperatures listed in Harold’s findings, instead keeping within a fairly close range using the hot tap found in your home. Doing so should yield similar results, leaving you with bunches of strawberries ready to enjoy throughout the week.