Wouldn’t it be great if you could make summer berries last all year long. Well, I don’t have a magic wand. However, I do have the inside scoop on the secrets to sorting, washing and storing techniques that will preserve their flavor and keep your summer berries fresh longer.
Bringing home summer berries
Maybe you’ve taken a day trip to a nearby strawberry U Pick Farm or gone blueberry picking. The latter is Maine’s official state fruit so I can’t blame you for wanting to gather up some of our state’s bounty.
You get home and you’ve got all these berries. Now what?
The problem is, most berries don’t have a long shelf life, and their limited window of perfection is even shorter. However, there are things you can do to extend their shelf life and savor the essence of summer for as long as possible without being a master of water-bath canning.
No matter your berry preference — strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries — the golden rules of sorting, washing and storage remain constant. Learn how to maximize their freshness and extend their shelf life with these essential tips and tricks.
Sorting your berries
If you’ve ever asked in a public forum about washing summer berries, you will get some very impassioned responses. While most people agree that you should wash your berries, people like to argue over when and how.
However, the proper handling of berries starts before even thinking about washing or storing them. In fact, the first thing you should do when you get your berries home is to inspect and sort them.
Start by setting aside any broken or soft berries to eat that day or make into jam. Then, discard any crushed or moldy berries.
You know that old adage of how one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch? Well, that’s legit true with berries. One moldy berry can spoil the whole pack. If you see a moldy one, remove it right away.
Washing summer berries
Ok, you’ve sorted your berries. You’ve inspected them. Now it’s time to wash them.
Berries don’t need soap or special fruit washes to be clean enough to eat. If the plan is to eat or freeze them immediately, a simple rinse under running water will suffice.
If you want to wash your berries before storing them in the fridge, you can use a vinegar-and-water bath. Fill a small tub or bowl with three or four cups of cold water and one cup of basic white vinegar.
Allow the berries to soak for up to five minutes, then rinse with clean water to remove any lingering vinegar smell or taste. The low ratio of vinegar to water should prevent the berries from tasting pickled once rinsed and dry.
Storing berries
You want your berries to last as long as possible. That’s the whole reason for this article. So, make sure you dry them thoroughly after washing. To do this, you can lay them on a clean towel and let them air dry.
Pro tip: place the berries on a rimmed cookie sheet to make it easy to move them around, keeping your counters accessible for other things. Also, then the berries can’t roll off the counter and onto the floor.
Ensure the berries have had plenty of time to dry, then place them into a clean, dry and ventilated container. If you bought your berries in a plastic clamshell, you can reuse that packaging to store them. Just make sure that it doesn’t have a moisture-absorbing liner in the container. This could keep the berries damp and contribute to their early demise. Instead, replace it with a dry paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.
Refrigerator
If you will be eating them in the next three to five days, the refrigerator is your best option. Regardless of when you choose to wash them, inspect the berries for mold, moisture and broken berries.
Berries that looked perfect when you brought them home could have spoiled in the meantime. No one wants to eat rotten berries.
Do not store fresh berries in an airtight container for more than a few hours, as the lack of ventilation can cause the berries to mold. Remember: moisture is the enemy of a good berry.
Freezer
If you want to extend the life of your berries even longer, the freezer is a good option. It will lock in that fresh-from-the-berry-bush flavor and prevent the berries from going bad before you can eat them. While frozen berries may not retain their shape perfectly when they thaw, you can use them in smoothies, eat them on their own as a frozen treat or use them in recipes that call for frozen berries.
To freeze your berries, start with clean, dry berries and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze until solid (two to six hours, depending on freezer settings and berry size). Transfer them to a freezer-safe, airtight container to prevent them from absorbing any off flavors, and then return to the freezer.
Unlike refrigerated berries, frozen berries aren’t at risk of molding. Berries should last in the freezer for about six months.
“Living in an area that’s rich in local, seasonal growers, I love buying summer berries from nearby farms by the bushel and freezing them for use later in the year,” says Ksenia Prints who writes the At the Immigrant’s Table blog. “This helps me ensure my kids get the freshest, best-tasting berries around, and it also helps support the local agricultural economy.”
A great place to buy fresh berries in season is your local Maine farmers market.
Portions of this article originally appeared on Renee Nicole’s Kitchen.