Strawberries will last even longer if you use this trick (stock photo) (Image: Getty)
Strawberries are a quintessentially British fruit, and millions of us love indulging in them all year round – especially in the summer months when British strawberries are ripe.
The very first British strawberries should start to appear in late May, with peak picking season occurring in June and July, just in time for them to be enjoyed with lashings of cream at events like Wimbledon.
But as anyone who regularly eats strawberries will know, they can be a tricky fruit to keep fresh. Like most berries, strawberries are delicate, and it doesn’t take much for them to become mushy and unappealing – especially if they’re not stored correctly.
Most people will put them in the fridge to keep them fresh for longer, and while this definitely does work, there are some steps you can take before storing them that could prolong their life for even longer.
Karissa Barker shared a video on Instagram that was all about how to wash and store fruit like strawberries and blueberries to make them last longer, and it all starts with one ingredient – baking soda.
Karissa quoted a study from the University of Massachusetts that claimed that soaking your berries in a mixture of water and baking soda can help to remove dirt, bacteria, and even surface pesticides from the fruit.
Not only does this make the berries nicer to eat, but it can also help them last longer, as you’re removing some bacteria that would otherwise cause them to break down.
Karissa recommended soaking your berries for 15 minutes in a mixture of cold water and baking soda, before emptying the berries into a colander and rinsing off any residual baking soda. Leave the berries to dry or gently dab them with a paper towel, and then transfer them to an airtight container.
She said: “Store in an airtight glass container for maximum freshness.”
Commenters on the post added more context to Karissa’s hack, claiming that sometimes baking soda can make strawberries softer. If this happens to your fruit, you can use vinegar instead of baking soda.
How to store strawberries for maximum freshness
If you’re eating them the same day:
- Keep them at a cool room temperature if your kitchen isn’t warm.
- Leave them in a single layer if possible (a crowded punnet increases bruising).
- Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources.
If you’re eating them in 2-5 days:
- Sort them: remove any mouldy or very soft strawberries immediately (one bad berry can spoil the rest).
- Line a container with kitchen paper (to absorb moisture).
- Arrange strawberries in a single layer where you can. If you must stack, put paper between layers.
- Store uncovered or loosely covered (you want airflow). If using a lidded container, don’t seal it airtight.
- Keep them in the main part of the fridge, not the coldest back corner, where they can partially freeze and go mushy.
Optional vinegar bath to increase freshness:
Some people use a diluted vinegar rinse to reduce surface mould spores. This can work to extend the shelf life of your berries, but you must ensure they are properly dried before storing.
- Mix 1 part white vinegar with 3 parts water.
- Dip berries for 1–2 minutes, then rinse quickly with cold water.
- Dry extremely well (a salad spinner lined with a paper towel can help), then store using the fridge method above.
It’s often recommended not to wash berries until you’re ready to eat them, as if they are not dried properly, this can make them spoil faster because of the added moisture.