In the summer, the question often arises of how to keep strawberries fresh in the refrigerator for several days. This berry is really quite capricious and requires a special approach. In this material we will look at different ways of short-term and long-term storage of strawberries at home, and also learn how to choose the right berries.
Strawberries (or rather strawberries) can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for several days
How to choose or pick the right berries
How long they will remain fresh largely depends on the initial quality of the berries . They should be completely red, but dense, without dark spots. This applies to both purchased and strawberries collected from your own plot.
One of the first strawberry varieties brought to Russia from England was named after Queen Victoria (it does not exist in its pure form now, since it has been replaced by much more successful modern varieties).
When purchasing, pay attention to the walls of the tray: if there are pieces of crushed pulp there, the entire product may turn out to be stale. There should be no mold on the berries: even if only one or two are spoiled, the rest may already be infected with spores.
Of course, it is impossible to inspect the entire purchase at the market or in a store, so at home, immediately sort through the berries and remove any darkened or soft ones. If there is no mold on such specimens, it is better to use them immediately, for example, for baking or eating.
If possible, for storage you should choose varieties that tolerate transportation well . (But there is one significant objection. Keeping quality and transportability are truly interrelated qualities, but transportability and taste are exactly the opposite. The reason is the peculiarities of strawberry ripening. As natural sugars accumulate in the berries, their cell walls become thinner and destroyed. In fact, the berries begin to deteriorate already during the ripening process. Many modern varieties bred for cultivation in commercial quantities are characterized by a very low rate of sugar formation in tissues (that is, the berries ripen, but there is little sugar in them). This quality is genetically determined. It allows the berries to be well stored and transported , but it is precisely because of this that the taste and aroma of the product, to put it mildly, leaves much to be desired. This is especially noticeable in imported strawberries, which are sold here in the winter. In closed containers, they lie on the shelves at room temperature, remaining very beautiful and completely tasteless for weeks So, having followed the advice about choosing a variety, you need to prepare for the fact that the berries will be well preserved, but will not give you the pleasure with which you eat perishable, but so aromatic and sweet seasonal strawberries of a less “advanced” variety.)
It is advisable to pick strawberries in dry weather
On your own plot, collect strawberries in the morning, when the dew has dried. It is advisable to do this in dry weather, but even after rains the crop should not be left in the garden for a long time, otherwise it will deteriorate.
If you rarely visit your dacha, you can pick pink berries; they will ripen at home. There is no point in collecting green ones.
How to properly prepare fresh strawberries for storage
If you harvest from your plot, then you need to do this on a dry sunny day. And when buying at the market or in a supermarket, you should choose dry specimens, without traces of juice on the box in which they are stored.
The fruits should not look limp or dried out. Before storing the berries, they must be sorted, removing spoiled, moldy and those that have begun to soften. Remember that fruits that will be eaten in the near future can be washed only before consumption.
Their spongy structure actively absorbs moisture and quickly deteriorates. But those fruits that are frozen for a long time must be washed and the tails removed from them.
Did you know? Despite the fact that strawberries are called berries
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this is not entirely true.
From a botanical point of view, the seeds of a berry should be on the inside, while in a strawberry they are on the outside. The fruit itself is considered a false berry or multi-nut. When choosing a storage method, you focus on the volume of raw materials that need to be processed. When the volume is large, several different methods are used to increase the variety of dishes on the winter menu.
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Cold storage
You can store strawberries in the refrigerator, depending on their original condition, from several days to 1 week.
You need to wash the berries immediately before eating - if you do this in advance, they will quickly lose their freshness and become soggy. The exception is when most of the crop turns out to be darkened or moldy.
Damaged specimens are selected, and the remaining ones are sprayed with a mixture of vinegar and water (in a ratio of 1:3) from a spray bottle. The treatment will restrain the development of spores, but in this case it will still not be possible to store the berries for a long time.
If the berries are wet, dry them gently with paper towels.
It is best to store strawberries at a temperature of 0 to +2 ℃, so it is recommended to place them in the vegetable compartment (they can stay there for a week). At temperatures above +6 ℃ the shelf life is reduced to 3 days. If you keep the berries at room temperature in an apartment, they will remain edible for a maximum of 2 days; let’s put this information in a table:
| Place | Temperature | Shelf life |
| Vegetable storage compartment in the refrigerator | 0…+2 ℃ | Up to 1 week |
| Shelf in the refrigerator | +6 ℃ and above | Up to 3 days |
| Table in the room/kitchen | +15…25 ℃ | Up to 2 days |
It is advisable to store strawberries in a wooden container, birch bark basket, or in a plastic or silicone colander - access to oxygen will help maintain an optimal level of humidity and the berries will not become moldy.
You can store strawberries in the refrigerator in an open plastic container.
You can also use an open plastic container or a loosely sealed plastic bag .
The fewer berries there are in the container, the longer they will remain edible. There should be no moldy food nearby, so if there are already other fruits in the refrigerator, sort them out.
How to choose strawberries for storage
This berry has a very delicate structure. Even a very small dark spot can make the entire berry unsuitable for saving. Therefore, you need to handle it very carefully. Even if you collect strawberries on your own plot, the quality of the berries still needs to be checked again.
Harvesting should be done on a clear day, after the dew has dried. Spoiled berries with black spots should be thrown away immediately so that the rest do not go to waste. If the berry is too soft, it is also not suitable for long-term storage.
Mold on one of the berries can ruin the entire harvest. Even if stored at low temperatures, mold will quickly spread throughout the entire batch.
Freezing
You can store strawberries in the freezer for up to 1 year, but since this berry consists of 90% water, there is a risk that after complete defrosting it will lose its shape.
Before freezing, remove the sepals, wash and dry the berries. Strawberries can be frozen like this:
- Entirely . In this case, you can simply serve it on the table or use it for chocolate fondue. Since thawed berries are softer than regular ones, they are more difficult to cut into neat slices, but they are easy to mash into puree. To protect the preparations from becoming soggy, you can dip them in yogurt or melted chocolate in advance - you will get a ready-made candy.
- Sliced into slices . Neat pieces are well suited for decorating baked goods and other desserts. In addition, in this case the strawberries will freeze more evenly and faster.
- In the form of puree . It is used for smoothies or cocktails, as a filling for baked goods, etc. Even soft berries are suitable for this preparation.
Whole berries or slices can be placed in freezer-safe plastic or glass containers or ziplock bags. To store puree, use ice or ice cream molds, as well as portion cups.
You can make many desserts from defrosted puree.
Prepared strawberries can be poured with sugar syrup before freezing. It helps to better preserve the taste, aroma and shape of the fruit, but in this case they turn out to be very sweet, which not everyone likes. In addition, it will be more difficult to use part of the workpiece.
To prepare the syrup, dilute sugar with water in a 1:1 ratio. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator, then pour over the berries so that they are completely covered. This syrup can also be added to puree; in this case, about 4 parts of sugar are used for 5 parts of berries.
You can also store strawberries in pectin syrup - it keeps the shape of the berries worse, but does not make them too sweet. The proportions for its preparation should be indicated on the packaging.
Tip: To preserve the color of the strawberry puree, sprinkle it with lemon juice.
If you plan to store strawberries without syrup, first arrange the berries in a single layer on a tray and freeze for several hours. Only then transfer them to a container, otherwise they will stick together. Leave about 1.5-2 cm of free space - when the berries freeze, they expand.
To prevent the berries from freezing, first freeze each one separately.
The berries need to be defrosted gradually in the refrigerator. Rapid defrosting, such as in the microwave, will make them too soft. It is advisable to eat them while still cold.
Methods for storing strawberries
There are several basic ways to store fresh fruits. How long the crop will be stored depends on the processing method.
Main storage methods:
- If the fruits were purchased in a container with ventilation holes, then they can be stored in it. You need to eat them within 2 days.
- If you place a paper towel at the bottom of a container (dish or bowl), place the berries on it and put them in the refrigerator, they will remain fresh for a week. Storage temperature - 0...+2°С. As the temperature rises, the shelf life will decrease.
- Mix 1.5 cups of water and 1/4 cup of vinegar. Immerse whole specimens in the liquid for 5 minutes. Drain the water. Rinse with cold water. Dry the fruits with a paper towel. Place a fresh paper towel in the container and the berries on it. Place in the refrigerator. Strawberries will remain fresh for 2 weeks.
If you do not plan to consume the fruit within a few days, freezing is the best storage method.
These berries can be used in smoothies, baked goods or other treats.
You can also dry strawberries. To do this, cut it into equal pieces (pieces of the same size will dry more evenly). They need to be loaded into the dehydrator tray and evenly distributed in one layer.
Drying occurs at a temperature of +135°C for about 8 hours until the pieces become brittle and crispy.
Important! The berries are 91% water, so they will dry out very much.
Another harvesting method is “fruit leather.” Strawberries have very little pectin, so they will break when they dry out. To make flexible fruit puree sheets, mix equal parts applesauce and strawberry puree.
The parchment is then oiled to prevent sticking. The prepared puree is placed on it and dried in a dehydrator. The result is fruit layers that can be used as an independent dessert, like chips.
Sugaring
You can preserve strawberries for the winter without cooking or freezing by candying them.
You can prepare the workpiece like this:
- Pour sugar into clean berries in a ratio of 1:0.8 to 1:1.5. The longer you plan to store the product, the more sugar you need. It is advisable to pre-cut large fruits.
- Place the strawberries in a cool place overnight. From time to time the workpiece needs to be mixed.
- Mash the strawberries with a blender or pestle until pureed.
- Sterilize and cool glass jars (warm ones may ferment).
- Fill the jars with strawberry puree, about 1 cm short of the top. Fill the remaining space with sugar.
In this case, you need to store strawberries in the refrigerator or cellar, and in winter - on the balcony. At a temperature not higher than +6 ℃, the workpiece will remain edible for 6 months.
You can preserve strawberries using sugar
You can pour 1 tbsp into jars. l. vodka. It will allow you to preserve the berries longer, but you will no longer be able to give this product to your child.
Strawberries contain a large amount of pectin and folic acid, help strengthen the immune system, and improve mood thanks to the “joy hormone” it contains. However, please note that it can cause allergies, so children and pregnant women should use this product with caution.
Where to store strawberries at home
Strawberries are approximately 80% liquid, which does not contribute to their long-term storage. It wrinkles easily and becomes deformed even with little impact. In addition, the berry, due to its protruding seeds and pores, may contain dust and dirt particles that can cause rotting. Therefore, you need to be very responsible when storing strawberries.
Before telling you where to store strawberries at home, you need to note where they definitely CANNOT be stored:
- indoors at room temperature or higher - the berries can quickly ferment or become moldy
- in non-enamelled metal containers - the acids contained in strawberries can react with the metal
- in a tightly sealed container - evaporation of liquid from the berries can lead to rapid mold growth.
Where can strawberries be stored at home? The rules are:
a) cool, ideally in the refrigerator at a temperature no higher than 6 degrees above zero
b) in plastic, glass or, in extreme cases, enamel containers
c) not tightly closed - it is best to cover the vessel with cloth or paper to ensure air exchange.
This applies to storage in the regular section of the refrigerator. However, strawberries can be stored at home in the freezer. The third option is storing strawberries with sugar. Options in the freezer and/or sprinkled with sugar are designed for longer storage of berries at home.
Berry selection and processing
You need to know how to choose berries correctly.
You should carefully examine not only the strawberries, but also the container in which they are sold. If the fruits are soft, dark, and pieces of pulp are already visible on the walls, it means that the strawberries are spoiling. If you pick berries from your own garden, then take strong red fruits without waiting for the moment when they begin to soften. Immediately after purchasing the berries, you should carefully sort them out. Moldy and heavily crushed fruits must be disposed of immediately. Mold can very quickly spread to other berries and spoil them. Even one bad berry can cause great harm to others. To sort the berries, it is recommended to pour them onto a flat surface and carefully inspect them. Since the entire food vacuum packaging process is cold, all excess oxygen is drained away. All vitamins and minerals, as well as enzymes, are stored in vegetables, fruits and other foods. The high-quality foil and vacuum packaging system are sensational for collecting meat and collecting even delicate seafood. Here you will see beef fillet with salt, pepper, olive oil and rosemary. It is prepared in this form several hours before frying or cooking.
Bags in which marinated and marinated meat products are suitable for culinary preparation, i.e. long cooking at low temperatures, which contributes to the unique taste of cooked dishes in its own sauce with spices and herbs. You can also prepare tender fish meat such as halibut with lemon and black pepper.
If you are not going to eat the strawberries right away, then there is no need to wash them. The fruits absorb water very easily, and this will have a bad effect on the shelf life of the berries. If washed strawberries are placed in the refrigerator, they will still not be stored there for long. And in the freezer, the washed berries will make a lot of ice. If you need clean strawberries for storage, then after washing they must be placed on a paper towel and left to dry.
Simple operation, even intuitive device ensures trouble-free operation even without carefully reading the manual. Just prepare the right side of the foil, weld it, place the selected food. Vacuum packaging of food products uses a special roll film or a separate bag for this. You will get them in many sizes, making it easier to manage the film and adapt it to food products.
They are made of very strong, thick and wear-resistant foil. They are suitable for repeated use. You can wash them in the dishwasher before reusing them. They have a very strong and stable side lock. Made from cotton film.
The shelf life is also influenced by the container in which the berries are placed. It is best to place the strawberries in a wooden box with ventilation. Containers made of durable cardboard (also with ventilation) are also suitable. You should try to spread the berries in a thin layer - this way they can stay fresh longer in the refrigerator. You can use a paper towel and place the berry layers on it to absorb excess moisture.
You can use both rolls and sachets in water, cook meals and even microwave them. For roll-on-roll, you can choose the size of the bag by cutting it to the appropriate length. In the case of handbags, you should buy the sizes that are most useful.
Rolls are up to 6 or 10 meters depending on the width! It's important to note that foil is ideal for everyday packaging of wet and moist foods into chilled and dry meals stored outside the refrigerator. Meats, cheeses, smoked fish, minced meat, ora residue after soy milk or soft tofu are packaged in foil
Types of freezing strawberries
For long-term storage of berries, it is customary to resort to the freezing method. In this case, you can use it even after a year. However, keep in mind that after treating strawberries with extreme cold, you also “kill” most of the vitamins, so only a pleasant taste remains from such a berry.
You can freeze strawberries in the following ways:
- Entirely. Keep in mind that thawed berries are much softer than regular ones, so if you need to cut strawberries for a dish, do so immediately after removing them from the freezer.
- In slices. Neat strawberry slices can be used to decorate desserts or baked goods. In addition, the sliced berries freeze evenly, even if their original sizes were very different.
- In the form of puree. It is suitable for making milkshakes, smoothies or fillings for various baked goods. The advantage of this storage is that you can use even the softest berries.
To prevent the berries from sticking together during freezing, place them on a glass or plastic surface and place them in the freezer for several hours. After the strawberries have frozen properly, they can be transferred to a container or cup. However, try not to load too many berries into the container so that the bottom layer does not choke.
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Why shouldn't you store sweet varieties of strawberries?
When choosing berries for storage, try to give preference to those varieties that have good shelf life and ease of transportation. However, keep in mind that the taste of such strawberries will not be the best - the reason is the ripening characteristics of such berries. The sweeter the strawberry, the thinner its walls, which means the higher the likelihood that the berry may begin to deteriorate already during the ripening process.
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If you grow strawberries on your own plot, try to create an additional source of shading. The fact is that the berries that ripen in the sun have an excellent taste, but quickly spoil. So it’s worth stretching a garden net over several bushes with a shading percentage of 50% to 70%. In such conditions, the berry will ripen much longer, but its shelf life will be comparable to the hardiest varieties.
