Strawberries 101: Storing, Preserving, Nutrition & Health Benefits

Best Methods for Washing & Storing Strawberries

There’s nothing quite like eating a perfectly ripe strawberry. Besides the fact that they can be expensive, it’s not easy picking out the perfect ones. In fact, there’s nothing worse than buying a pint of strawberries only to find out after opening that some are moldy or they’re starting to go bad.

Here are some ways to help make your strawberries stay fresh and last longer.

What to Look for When Buying Strawberries

When shopping, look for deeply red-colored strawberries that are without visible bruising, mushy or moldy spots. Strawberries can vary in size from the tiny wild-like, or to the fairly enormous type.

Storing strawberries

Freshly bought strawberries start to go bad more quickly than other berries. The main culprit being mold. If you would like to make your strawberries last longer, follow these 3 simple rules.

1. Wash as you go – Make sure to leave the stems on and not wash berries before you’re ready to eat or use them. If you do, they’ll most likely turn mushy, shrivel up, and rot.
2. Exam and throw out moldy ones -Look over your berries carefully and make sure to remove any moldy berries in the container so they don’t ruin the rest of the bunch.
3. Storing – If you’re not planning on eating your strawberries the same day you bring them home, store them in the refrigerator. To make them last longer and keep fresh for several days, wrap the strawberries in a single layer of paper towels in a shallow bowl and place them in a temperature-controlled drawer in the refrigerator. This will help prevent the strawberries from retaining excess moisture and going bad.

Preserving Strawberries

Strawberries can be made into jam or fruit leather, and they freeze beautifully, either sliced or whole. To freeze fresh whole strawberries, just wash them well, hull, pat dry, and then place on a flat pan in a freezer for at least 8 hours. When the strawberries are frozen solid, transfer them to a ziplock bag and store in the freezer.

Strawberry Nutrition

High in Vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants, strawberries are a low-calorie food. They are among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity and are a good source of manganese and potassium.

Strawberry fun facts

1. Strawberries are symbols of both the Virgin Mary and Venus (the Roman goddess of love).
2. Pesticides and Strawberries

Unfortunately, strawberries rank the highest, number 1 (out of 53 ) on the Environmental Working Group’s Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Because one-third of all conventional strawberry samples contained 10 or more pesticides and other agricultural chemicals, the EWG recommends buying organic.