How To Keep Strawberries Fresh

You’ve bought the container of strawberries at the store. When you get home, they go into the fridge. For some reason, they get forgot about. In a few days, someone in the house goes to grab a few. They realize the strawberries look shriveled up. Some even have mold on them. Keep reading as I’ll show you How to Keep Strawberries Fresh in the fridge.

The strawberries are ripe and the pickin’is plentiful right now. Local and surrounding farms grow these little beauties February – March (to the public). I grew an abundance of strawberries last year. I have the perfect tower that goes in my garden for growing strawberries. We are re-doing the garden and I forgot all about it so I never planted mine for this year. Oh, well, I will make sure I get them planted in November this year.

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How to Keep Strawberries Fresh

1. Remove the strawberries from the container. 
2. Place them in a bowl of water.
3. Next, add the vinegar and stir it around. 
4. Set your timer for 2-3 minutes. 
5. Remove the strawberries and place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels or lint free towels. Cover them and allow to dry completely. 
6. Line the bottom of your jar with a dry paper towel. This will catch any moisture from the strawberries. 
7. Start stacking the strawberries until the jar is full. Screw the lid on and place in the fridge. 
8. They should last for 2-4 weeks in the fridge unless you eat them before then haha.

Nutrition in Strawberries

Emerging research provides substantial evidence to classify strawberries as a functional food with several preventive and therapeutic health benefits. Strawberries are a rich source of phytochemicals like ellagic acid, anthocyanins, quercetin, and catechin. They also contain vitamins such as ascorbic acid and folic acid. They have been highly ranked among dietary sources of polyphenols and antioxidant capacity. Nutritional epidemiology shows an inverse association between strawberry consumption and incidence of hypertension. It also shows an inverse association between strawberry consumption and serum C-reactive protein.

Controlled feeding studies have identified the ability of strawberries to attenuate postprandial oxidative stress. They also reduce inflammation induced by a high-fat diet. Strawberries can also reduce postprandial hyperglycemia or hyperlipidemia in subjects with cardiovascular risk factors. These health effects may be attributed to the synergistic effects of nutrients and phytochemicals in strawberries.

So, grab a few of these sweet and delicious strawberries in your daily diet. They will do your body some good.

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Part of the Dirty Dozen

Research

According to the EWG (Environmental Working Group), strawberries are on the “Dirty Dozen” list. The Department of Agriculture tests found that strawberries were most likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues. This is true even after they are picked, rinsed in the field, and washed before eating. For these reasons, strawberries continue to be at the top of the Dirty Dozen™ list.

In 2015 and 2016, USDA scientists tested 1,174 batches of conventional strawberries, finding that:

• Almost all samples – 99 percent – had detectable residues of at least one pesticide.
• Some 30 percent had residues of 10 or more pesticides.
• The most contaminated sample had residues of 23 different pesticides and breakdown products.
• Strawberry samples contained residues of 82 different pesticides in various combinations.

Some of these pesticides have been linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental damage, hormone disruption and neurological problems.

Conclusion

It’s best to seek out Organic Strawberries when hitting your local supermarkets. The best option would be to grow your own. That way, you can control what goes in your strawberries.

How to Grow Organic Strawberries

I buy my strawberry sets online from a reputable organic source. When they arrive, they don’t look like much, but don’t worry. Once you separate them out, you’ll see how each plant will appear in a month. You will have a a good visual from the photos below on how they will grow.

I’ve tried planting them in raised beds and the tower. The tower ended up being the best way to grow them for me. Mine came with a cover so I can keep birds from getting them. I don’t have pests either and I used a few good organic fertilizers. I mix them in with the compost at the beginning of planting the starts. Organic soil and fertilizer are key to growing beautiful strawberries.

Check out this post:

Start Planning Your Spring Garden

Here’s How I Grew Mine

I fill each tower section with soil and fertilizer. Mix it all together. Place one of the strawberry bare root plants in a section. Pile a good amount of soil around the plant. Compact the soil in with your hands. The tower has a watering spot at the top. You just pour the water in that spot. It trickles down to each section. When I first plant the starts, I water each section plus the top watering spot. This gives them a little extra water until they take off. Strawberries love water so make sure you give them extra during dry spells.

I planted mine in November. Once they started flowering, I added more fertilizer. I started seeing strawberries in January or February and they kept growing through May/June. I do have that shade cover so that helped a lot. The strawberries didn’t absorb all the heat in the middle of the afternoon in the later months.

You Can Find My Growing Tower Here

Tools I Used

Growing Tower

Organic Compost

Worm Castings (Fertilizer) – stack my code for an extra discount, no code needed

Organic Fertilizer Granules

Handheld shovel or scoop (for soil/fertilizer)

How to Keep Strawberries Fresh

Keeping strawberries fresh will make your delicious fruit last so much longer in the fridge. Buy in bulk and store them in larger containers if you have a bigger family.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Drying Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 Gallon Jar (with lid)
• Strawberries
• Bowl
• 4-6 cups Water
• 1/4 cup White Vinegar (5% acidity)

Instructions

 

• Remove the strawberries from the container.
• Place them in a bowl of water.
• Next, add the vinegar and stir it around.
• Set your timer for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the strawberries and place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels or lint free towels. Cover them and allow to dry completely.
• Line the bottom of your jar with a dry paper towel. This will catch any moisture from the strawberries.
• Start stacking the strawberries until the jar is full. Screw lid on and place in the fridge.
• They should last for 2-4 weeks in the fridge unless you eat them before then haha.

Notes

• You can use any kind of glass container as long as it has an airtight lid. 
• Make sure you pat the strawberries with paper towels and then cover them. It will speed the drying process up. 

Sources:

Basu A, Nguyen A, Betts NM, Lyons TJ. Strawberry as a functional food: an evidence-based review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014;54(6):790-806. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2011.608174. PMID: 24345049.

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/strawberries.php

Medical Disclaimer

The content on our website is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice. It is also not intended to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Wendy Walker, NTP (Little House Simple Living) and the publisher of this content do not take responsibility. This applies to any health consequences that might occur. It applies to any person reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content should consult their physicians. This is especially true for those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications. They should do this before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.

Wendy Lea Walker, NTP

Nutritional Therapy Practitioner

I’m Wendy. A wife, empty-nester mama, homemaker, homebaker, gardener and small-time farmer. I love sharing wisdom and mistakes I’ve learned along the way. Anyone can garden or homestead, no matter where you live. It’s a mindset. You just have to start somewhere. I believe food is medicine. Feed the body real whole foods and healing will begin.