Keep your berries fresher longer

Berries from Flickr by VancityAllie

My sister shared a great tip with me to help keep my berries from spoiling, I’ve tried it and have been pleasantly surprised at how much longer they have lasted.  I kept having to throw away strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries because they were growing mold in the container.  I was following the rule of wash as you use berries, since letting them sit in your fridge when damp can cause mold to grow in the first place.

So what’s the tip?  It’s simple.  Fill a large bowl with your berries (any kind) and cool water, enough to cover the berries.  Add about a tablespoon of regular white vinegar to the bowl.  Swish the berries around, and then dry them off on a clean dishtowel or paper towel – I like dishtowels since they are more environmentally friendly, but maybe don’t use a white one to avoid berry stains!  Pat dry, store in a sealed Tupperware or Pyrex container and enjoy for a full week!  Something about the vinegar seems to kill any of the bacteria that may be hiding on the berries that will cause mold to grow, since vinegar is something you can eat anyway you don’t have to worry about ingesting chemicals.

Try it and see, I’ve had my strawberries last almost twice as long after doing this, and didn’t have to throw a single blackberry away in my last container of them!  What do you think, do you have any other secret for keeping your berries fresh?