Wash them with vinegar.

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 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 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. You're so berry welcome!

jude

Jude31, it is strawberry season in Florida and they are flooding the stores in Chicago, so go look for some.

I'm glad to know this, though, I'll try it in June when local strawberries are everywhere, I'd love to be able to keep them.

I hope it works, I buy raspberries and they're spoiled the next day, usually.

Annie

Karen

I started growing two types of strawberries last summer. One produced berries all summer. The other just had one crop in June. I may use those to make strawberry vinegar this year - the flavor was superior.

I am adding a third variety this year. I was talking to a co-worker about the wild strawberries I picked as a child at the cabin my family had. She said she has wild strawberries on the 40 acres she lives on. She invited me to come and dig up some plants in the spring. I will cram them in amongst my hostas and non-edible plants as I am running out of space.

Teresa, care to share your recipe/method for making strawberry vinegar? Sounds good.

A couple of years ago I found a single wild strawberry plant at the base of a maple tree at the edge of the woods. It now has grown into a patch about 2 feet in diameter. I am really surprised they grow there, because it's a fairly shady spot. The squirrels and birds get to the berries before I can, tho. I may try some kind of cover/netting this year.

Linda

I have also used blueberries and pomegranite seeds. I assume strawberries will work just fine.

I just love a fruit flavored vinegar on bitter greens with chunks of cantelope and toasted almond slivers.

I will also mix 1 Tbsp of a very fruity olive oil with 3 Tbsp. of the berry vinegar for a dressing.

You can certainly use less berries and get a decent flavor which I have done. I happen to have access to a lot of homegrown raspberries so I always use a lot.

Thanks for the feedback.

Lars

We have been enjoying the Florida strawberries the last couple of weeks. I particularly like the flavor of the ones from Plant City FL. I do not buy California strawberries. Once the FL season is over, I'll be on berry hiatus until the local ones are ready.

Remember to use the straw tip - use a drinking straw to take the center and leaf cap from berries when you're ready to use them, bottom tip to top of berry through the center. Still have whole berries without the rough core or leaves.

Nancy

The vinegar destroys bacteria and mold spores on the berries, helping them stay fresh longer. According to Lifehacker, this method extends the shelf life of berries by days, sometimes even weeks."

That's because water surface tension forms bubbles and can't permeate into many types of surfaces.

You can do much better:

1. Use detergents. Of course you have to wash well to remove the detergents.

2. Use a vacuum machine to remove air bubbles.

3. Use an ultrasonic cleaner made for cleaning fruits and vegetables.

dcarch

jude