One of our co-op members clued me in to storing strawberries in a glass jar in the fridge. I did it for the first time after the last co-op and I ate my berries just a few days ago - they had no mold at all - a few were soft but still good for cutting and eating; whereas usually they mold in a couple of days. So the glass jar might be the answer for you, if you actually have any strawberries left at this point! I know sometimes the berries don't even make it home. =)
I also wanted to forward an email (see below) about storing berries. I have not tried the technique, but since we're coming into berry season, I thought I would get the info out to all of you in the hopes that it will be successful!
Thanks to all our volunteers for their fantastic work this morning! I hope you all enjoy your baskets!
Michelle Schneider
Director, Tri-Community Co-op
Subject: Saving Berries from molding------
Here's a good tip - Berries, particularly super-fresh berries, are just wonderful, aren't they?
But they're also kind of delicate. Raspberries in particular seem like they can mold before you even get them home from the market. There's nothing more tragic than paying $4 for a pint of local raspberries, only to look in the fridge the next day and find that fuzzy mold growing on their insides.
I'm here to share a tip on how to prevent them from getting moldy.
The key to preventing moldy berries - Vinegar!
Wash them with vinegar - it really, really works. 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 f ind 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 I've had strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft. So go forth and stock up on those pricey little gems, knowing they'll stay fresh as long as it takes you to eat them. |
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