How to Wash and Store Fresh Berries

Want to know the secret to making your berries last longer? Keep berries fresh using the following tips!

Berry season is upon most of us these days, and all of those vibrant, sweet fruits are calling to us from road-side stands, farmer’s markets, and grocery stores.

While my children may attempt to devour the berries as soon as they are purchased, I try to hold a few back to use in our fresh school lunches and in easy summer desserts.

In the past, my refrigerator shelf life for berries was pretty short, especially if I was dealing with strawberries or raspberries. It seemed I would bring them home from the store and find them spoiling within a few short hours.

While you can always whip up a batch of strawberry fruit leather before the berries all start to turn, you can also keep the berries fresh and whole in the fridge!

Now, thanks to a quick kitchen trick, I know how to keep berries fresh, giving me more time to use them as needed.

Watch this quick video to see the magic happen, and then keep reading for all my tips and tricks!

Wash strawberries, blueberries, and even blackberries! Note: I don’t recommend washing raspberries, washing them will actually cut their lifespan. With raspberries, refrigeration is key.

How To Keep Berries Fresh

The secret to extending the life of fresh berries? White Vinegar. Check out these step by step directions.

Once you bring your fresh berries home, the key to keeping it fresh is to kill any spores on the fruit. The pH of vinegar does that job.
Place the berries in a large bowl and wash them in a vinegar-water bath: 1 cup of white vinegar and 8 cups of water.
Let the berries sit in the vinegar-water bath, gently moving them to help dislodge any dirt, grime and letting the vinegar kill spores and bacteria.
Drain the berries in a colander and then thoroughly rinse the fruit (to remove any vinegar flavor).
Thicker skinned fruit (like strawberries or blueberries) can be dried in a salad spinner but delicate berries such as raspberries and blackberries should be dried on a towel, patting them with paper or cloth towels.
Store the washed and dried fruit in a sealed container that has been lined with paper towels — if using an air-tight container, leave the lid slightly open to avoid natural moisture build-up. When I handle fruit I have purchased from my grocery store, I wash the original container and then re-use it, making sure to line it with paper towels.

Eating Fresh as a family can go beyond just fruit! Click here to get my free resource that will help you eliminate processed foods & sugars from your family’s diet in just 30 days!

strawberries and raspberries in small boxes

Other Options To Keep Berries Fresh

A quick hot-water bath (30 seconds in 125 degree water for strawberries, raspberries and blackberries; 30 seconds in 140 degree water for blueberries) has been shown to kill bacteria, resulting fewer berries going bad.