How Long Do Fresh Strawberries Stay Perfect in the Fridge?

If you don’t want to finish all of those bright red berries, storing them properly will keep them fresh longer.

Fruits and vegetables picked at their peak only last a few days. You might consider saving them a little longer by using your refrigerator . However, some produce doesn’t react the right way to colder temperatures. The flavor can change and any further ripening is halted in its tracks.

Fresh strawberries are one of summer’s biggest pleasures. There are dozens of Southern recipes to make use of your farmer’s market or u-pick farm haul. However, they just don’t last very long on the counter. In fact, if you’d like your strawberries to stay free of decay, you only have one or two days to keep them at room temperature.

If you’d like your strawberries to last more than a few days, it’s best to refrigerate them . How long do strawberries last in the fridge? We'll tell you how to store them and how long so they stay fresher longer.

How Long Do Strawberries Last In The Refrigerator?

Since strawberries will begin to rot after a few days on the counter, if you plan to make your berries last for longer, they need to be stored in the refrigerator. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends storing fresh produce like strawberries in a clean refrigerator at 40ºF or below. Once strawberries are stored, they’ll last anywhere from five to seven days. This will preserve their freshness and keep them firm.

When Not To Refrigerate Strawberries

If you’re eating your strawberries right away, you should eat them at room temperature. When you refrigerate the fruit, the cool temperatures reduce some of the natural smell of the berries and influence our taste buds. They just don’t taste as sweet. In fact, before serving fresh strawberries from the refrigerator, you should let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to make them taste better. As a rule, if you think those berries are going to be eaten right away, don’t stick them in the fridge. Don't store them on your counter longer than one or two days.

The Best Way To Store Strawberries

For ultimate freshness, store your strawberries in the plastic clamshell container they were purchased in. If your berries were sold in baskets, place them in a plastic produce bag and keep it partially open. Place the container or bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator, and close the vent to create a humid environment. You can also store fresh strawberries in an airtight storage container. Line the container with paper towels to absorb any moisture.

Cut strawberries can be stored in an airtight container, but they begin to deteriorate more rapidly than whole berries. Plan to use them the next day.

How To Make Strawberries Last Longer

Besides refrigerating, there are a few strategies you can use to make your pack of strawberries last as long as possible.

• Don’t cut the stems off of the berry. Whole strawberries tend to stay in good shape longer than cut ones.
• Don't wash too soon. Moisture is the enemy of freshness, so don’t wash strawberries until it’s time to eat them or they may begin to rot more quickly. Rinsing strawberries with a soap, commercial produce wash, or detergent is not recommended by the FDA. While some consumers use a vinegar solution to clean berries , know that it doesn't eliminate all bacteria and fungi.
• Do line. Use a container lined with a paper towel to absorb any wetness before it causes mold on your berries.
• Do keep the berries in a single layer, if possible, helps keep them dry, allows air to circulate, and prevents bacteria from spreading among the berries.

How To Freeze Strawberries

If you’d like to store cut and washed strawberries for long-term use, you can freeze them for up to one year. You can freeze them separately to make it easy to add just the right amount to any recipe. Here's how:

1. To freeze them, you do need to rinse them under cold running water to clean them. Toss any berries showing signs of deterioration.
2. Spread the berries on clean towels and allow them to dry fully.
3. Cut the stems and white centers from the berries.
4. Freeze whole berries in a single layer on a baking sheet. Or cut berries into desired size, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze.
5. Transfer berries to a storage container or resealable plastic bag for freezing. Frozen strawberries can last up to one year.

How To Tell Strawberries Are Bad

When strawberries have gone bad, you’ll see mold on the berries, especially where they are touching each other. They’ll look discolored and possibly be leaking liquid from burst areas. A good strawberry is firm, but one that has turned will be squishy and soft. The smell won’t be as sweet, maybe a little rotten. If you’re strawberries are showing any of these signs, it’s time to get rid of them.

Strawberries tend to have mold spores on their surface. When they are exposed to cold temperatures, the process that allows mold and other fruit-rotting microorganisms to grow is slowed down. Refrigeration delays the decay of strawberries.

Frequently asked Questions

Do strawberries get sweeter in the fridge?

Strawberries don’t get riper after they’ve been picked, so they won’t get sweeter while being stored in the refrigerator. The cool temperatures suppress the smell and taste of strawberries, so they definitely taste less sweet coming out of the refrigerator. They may get darker, but won’t get sweeter.

Can I cut strawberries before storing them in the refrigerator?

You can cut them, but it makes them go bad quickly. They should always be refrigerated if they aren’t eaten within two hours to keep them from spoiling.

If one strawberry is moldy, do I need to throw away the whole container?

If you start to notice that a few strawberries are moldy, you don’t have to get rid of all of the berries. Simply take out the bad fruit, examining the neighboring berries for any signs of decay. Throw away any berries that are touching the mold. Store the others like normal.

Read the original article on Southern Living