I’m trying this new series of articles on Fridays called “Favorite Things Friday” where I will be sharing some of my favorite things, products, life tips, in hopes that you might find it useful in some way for your family. Please let me know in the comments if you would like to see more articles like this. I’m experimenting with this for the next few weeks. If you would like to see more articles like this, I can keep this series going. To go along with these Friday articles, I’ll also include a Giveaway!
My kids love strawberries and blueberries. One of the biggest frustrations I have with strawberries is that they rot so quickly in the fridge. So much so that I started avoiding buying Organic Strawberries, since they tend to go bad even faster. Often, I’ll check back after 2-3 days of buying them, and the entire pack is moldy and needs to be thrown away. I hate wasting food! (Really, I hate wasting anything that I paid for with hard earned money.)
Let me document some tips and products I found helpful in helping to keep strawberries fresh for longer (and other produce too).
How to Keep Strawberries Fresh for Longer
Here are some tips that I’ve learned on how to keep strawberries last longer than the usual 2-3 days. The key to keeping strawberries fresh is to keep them stored clean and dry.
1. Wash Right Away with Vinegar
Once I get home from the grocery store, I wash the Strawberries before they go in the fridge. Mold spores on the fruits are what makes them go bad quickly.
I wash my strawberries with Apple Cider Vinegar and water mix. You can do this in a big bowl or a salad spinner. Leave it soaking for a few minutes. The vinegar solution helps to remove spores and bacteria on the fruit, thus extending their life.
I typically add about 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar to a bowl of water. But you can use regular Vinegar as well. Some people add more vinegar for their wash solution (ie. 1 cup vinegar for 3 cups of water), in which case you’ll have to rinse extra well.
2. Dry Your Strawberries
Drying your berries is the next important step. You can get rid of excess water by spinning it a few times in a salad spinner. AND/OR drying it with a soft cloth or paper towel.
You can also air dry them in a colander, but with so many things going on, I’m afraid I’ll forget about the drying berries on the counter overnight (lol), so I don’t do this.
3. Storing Your Strawberries for Freshness
The quick and cheapest solution (what I used to use) for storage is to line the plastic containers (they came in) with paper towels and put the berries back in the containers.
And then a few months ago, there was a deal we posted on these Rubbermaid FreshWorks containers. I got a set to try and have been hooked ever since!
There’s a little perforated tray in the bottom of the container to keep produce from soaking in any condensation and moisture. And the lid has little “holes” in it to allow air flow in and out of the container.
I’ve since purchased a few more of these from Target (with the food storage category coupon), and I use it with all my fruit that needs washing.
One tip I found to be helpful is to wash all your fruits and veggies in one sitting. Then dry and store. It’ll save you time in the long run instead of washing one item as you need it. Plus, it’s so much more convenient to use, without the additional friction of needing to wash fruits. In the mornings, I love pulling out my green and white containers of already washed fruits and packing my kid’s lunches. SO Nice!
Giveaway Time! Win a Set of FreshWorks for FREE
To make it fun, I’m gonna include a Giveaway to go with these Favorite Things Friday articles every Friday. Check back every Friday for more of my Favorite Things.
For today’s giveaway, I’m giving away the 3-Piece set of FreshWorks Produce Saver Food Storage Containers to 4 Readers. This giveaway starts on Friday 8/24 and will end on Monday 8/27. Winners will be announced on this blog only on Tuesday 8/28 before 12pm PST. You’ll have 48 hours to claim your prize.
To enter in this giveaway: leave a comment below with a useful tip you use at home or something you recently learned or tell me about one of your favorite products. And tell me where you’re reading from (city and state). Let me know by leaving a comment on this post.
This post is NOT sponsored by anyone. I just really love this product and wanted to share my experience. All prizes are paid for by myself.
Do You Have a Favorite Product or Life Tip? Want to be published in a future “Favorite Things Friday”? Shoot me an email with your write up and pictures. If I accept your submission and publish your tip, I’ll also send you a $50 Gift Card to the store of your choice. Send email to tina@FreeStuffFinder.com with subject “Favorite Things Friday Tip”.
I use more fresh perishable stuffs like strawberries, cherry, berries, greens like cilantro, kale, mints and basils. Usually I store them in ziploc bags with paper towel wrapped around but still my stuff spoils after 2-3 days. I wander why this happens and I can I prevent that food to get spoilt so early and store properly. I read your blog and was very happy to know preserving methods and Rubbermaid Fresh Works containers that makes sense for storing perishables. I did saw that containers in one store earlier but didn’t find meaningful as I couldn’t understand whole process and how your food gets saved, but by reading your blog, I am certainly looking forward using that containers and passing on this precious information to others so lot of food can be saved to keep our planet green!
Hey Pavan! Do you wash them before you put them in the fridge? It might be that. Try these containers (it says you don’t need to wash produce before putting them in on the box. If you do wash before you store, then make sure they are as dry as you can make them – especially for strawberries)
Hey Tina! Thanks for your suggestion. I wash them and let dry for 12 hours on Paper towels before I keep in fridge. But above mentioned I did without containers, I would highly consider your advise and start using those containers. Again thank you for suggestions and reading my comments 🙂
And yes, I’ll never say no to more Rubbermaid Fresh works containers! LOL
I’m frlm Sant Maria, California, my favorite tip is using clorox desinfecting wipes to clean the mess that my baby girl does on the carpet, it removes fresh strawberry stain.
Ah! I didn’t know that! Thanks for the tip! Fruit stains can be tricky to get out, ya know?
Hi Tina, I purchased the Rubbermaid Fresh works containers because you mentioned in the video that week saying they make fruits last so much longer. Ever since I tried the small one, I bought 2 more! They REALLY work! I store both fruits and veggies in them, pretty much everything that tend to go bad very quickly, strawberries, asparagus, raspberries, bell papers, cilantro, and so much more… I’m so glad I watch your videos every week. Love your tips and this Favorite things Friday! Happy Friday from San Diego, CA!
Oh YAY! Reading what you wrote just made my day! I’m soooo happy! lol. Have an awesome weekend Ines!
I have found if I pre-chop my veggies at the beginning of the week, say on Sunday and put them in a Zip Loc bag with a paper towel , it’s a lot easier to grab a healthy snack on the go, or to make a quick chicken soup and salad for dinner. I am writing from Goodyear, Az.
Oh yes! For sure! Just the thought of having to wash it and cut it, the added friction of it, will cause me to avoid eating those veggies! lol. And then they go bad. The prep time at the start of the week is def worth it! Thanks for sharing CC!
I love fruit . I recently bought some strawberries and they didn’t last but a few days. Thanks for the awesome tips. I will try this next time I bring some home. I am new to your page so I don’t have a fav or new hack but I am so happy I found you. Lol I am gonna learn so many savvy tips and tricks definitely going to check out your blog daily and awesome giveaways is a suppperrr plus.
San Francisco, Ca
I was lazy one day, and didn’t want to get a stool to clean the top part of my sliding glass doors. So, I put a large paper towel on the end of my Swiffer, sprayed the glass with Windex, and voila! It worked! From Apopka, FL.
Haha! That’s a very effective idea! #love! 🙂
This is an awesome giveaway, I had never heard of these before, with five kiddos though things get eaten up pretty quickly at my house. One of my favorite tips is lemon juice on fruit it helps keep it fresher when carrying it in lunch boxes ect. I have a small spray bottle in the spice cabinet and just grab it and skirt over cut up apples, bannas ect and it keeps them fresh while sitting around those lunch boxes.
oh! I hadn’t thought of that. That’s a GREAT idea Nicole! So cool. Your small spray bottle, do you use freshly squeezed lemon juice? Or those juice things in a plastic lemon you find at the grocery store? lol. And do you dilute the juice? I’m getting specifics so I can do it too. 🙂 It would be great on avocados too!
I just buy the lemon juice in the bottle because it stays fresher longer 🙂 I also hear you can use lime juice too? never tried that but the lemon works well.
I would love to have theses I never know what to put my berries in and the go bad so fast Watertown NY
I recently found the Rubbermaid Fresh Works containers on clearance at my local Kroger store. I’m looking forward to trying your method of keeping strawberries fresher longer-my family too loves strawberries!
R Springer Hopedale, IL
Sweet! Yes! My friend also spotted some on clearance at Kroger affiliate. So glad you scored!