How To Store Strawberries So They Last Longer

Make your strawberries last for as long as possible by picking the freshest-looking ones from the market aisle. Of course, even if all the strawberries on the aisle look the same to you our experts' advice is easy to understand.  

Read through the boiled-down instructions and you'll be able to pick the freshest, sweetest, and longest-lasting berries with some practice in no time.

Look For:

• Color: Good strawberries should have a consistent ruby-colored bright scheme exterior with a minimum amount of discoloration.
  Firmness: Ripe strawberries should be plump and firm when touched. It shouldn’t be too hard but also shouldn’t start falling apart under slight pressure.
• Stems: Look at the stem attachment. The strawberry stems should be bright green and fresh, which indicates that they have been freshly picked. If the stems are dry, the berries are old. Also, avoid buying berries without stems as they help keep the berry fresh.
• Smell: The smell of the strawberries is hard to put into words but if you know then you know. The best tasting and fresh strawberries have a distinct fruity and floral scent from its blossom side which indicates freshness and continues to only fade with time.

Avoid:

• Mold: Unlike some other fruits and berries, strawberry varieties do not produce a waxy surface layer also known as blooms to protect themselves against the heat. If your strawberry is coated in a powdery substance, it’s mold without any doubt.
• Wrinkles: Wrinkles are proof of age. That’s equally true for strawberries as it is true for humans. Look for unwrinkled and taut skin that retains its shape once pressed.
• Soft Spots: Once the strawberries become overripe and rotten, they develop soft spots. Go ahead and give all the aisle berries a press test, if some of them have an overt squishiness that doesn’t return to their original shape, avoid them like the plague because they’ll literally make you sick.

Now that you have hopefully brought some fresh strawberries, it’s time to prevent the strawberry from going bad. It’s not enough to just store fresh strawberries. Even if you put it in the refrigerator, an improper technique with insufficient knowledge only leads to the painful realization that your strawberries have gone bad.

Prep Work Before Storing:

• Sorting: Sort through the berries and remove any strawberries that are overripe or moldy. An overripe berry once it begins to rot spreads to the neighboring berries while mold spreads regardless of moisture and rot. Although lack of humidity lessens mold growth, it can cause them to sporulate instead.
• Don’t Wash: While moisture can encourage rot in strawberries, there’s more than just one reason for not washing them. Washing strawberries can remove the edible bio-based coatings or microbial spray layer meant to almost triple their lifespan which causes the berries to go bad quicker.

Of course, while we recommend not washing the strawberries for storage, if you are going to consume them then wash them thoroughly for 5-10 minutes just before eating to rinse off any insecticides and pesticides present on the berries. Farming is a profit game after all.

While there exist some biofilms that can extend the berries’ unrefrigerated shelf-life for up to 6 days, don’t count on them being applied. It’s best to consume all the berries within 2 days of storing them outside rather than risk having to throw them away.

1. In Plastic Wrap

If you want to consume the strawberries immediately, it’s better to keep them at room temperature instead of the refrigerator as refrigeration can mute and dilute their fresh taste, scent, and texture preventing you from getting the most you can out of them.

While some strawberries left outside on a tray or counter might go bad even within 1-2 days, you can attempt to alleviate some of that chance by wrapping them in plastic food wrap to prevent oxygenation. Don’t wash them to prevent moisture-induced spoilage.

2. In Ventilated Container

Alternatively, if you live in a very dry area then it might encourage the left over-the-counter berries to release their water content through the skin due to the forces of osmosis at play. Strawberries are high in water content but have sugar concentrated near their skin cells.

Combined with the dry air and sugar’s ability to attract water, this leads to water being leached out of the fruit, this perspiration trapped in a container encourages moisture-induced rot. Place them in a well-ventilated container to prevent rot from the trapped moisture.

Storing strawberries for a short term usually means one week in the crisper. We have tested various “hacks” and methods suggested on the internet and discovered that some methods are not only ineffective but also actively detrimental.

So not only do improper techniques waste your time, but they also waste more berries than if you hadn’t done anything at all. All techniques involving washing in water and patting dry, storing on paper towels after washing or not washing, or using an airtight container with paper towel resulted in spoiled berries.

3. Original Packaging

This is the control method that we used to test the effectiveness of other unmentioned methods. Simply put the berries in their original containers into your refrigerator’s crisper drawer provided that the original packaging is perforated for ventilation.

This method had 15% spoilage of berries after one week, however, all other methods such as placing towels on trays or air-tight containers as well as washing and placing them in ventilated containers had a higher rate of spoilage. However, do make sure to sort the berries first.

4. Well-Ventilated Container

This method is like the previous method but is more effective due to the use of containers that were specifically designed for the best possible air circulation which makes the strawberries in the crisper last longer.

Sometimes the berries themselves might come in unventilated containers which makes this small purchase investment well worth it. Preferably purchase containers with a wide surface area to reduce the number of berries being pressed down at the bottom as it can encourage water loss.

5. Vinegar-Washed Strawberries

While any form of washing was proven to be detrimental to the berries, vinegar washing proved to be the only exception. Rinse the berries in a bowl filled with 1 part 5% concentrated white vinegar and 3 parts water for 2 minutes.

Dry the berries thoroughly with towels and leave them to air dry for a bit. If you want to speed this up, consider investing in a salad spinner. Make sure to store them in the crisper in a well-ventilated container. This is the best way to store strawberries short-term with 0% spoilage in the first week and might easily last for 2 weeks.

Strawberries are seasonal so I’m sure everyone would appreciate being able to store them for a week. For those of you who also want to enjoy them year-round like us, the methods presented below will help you enjoy the berries year-round.   

that many wish to enjoy year-round. Long-term storage methods like freezing and drying can help you preserve strawberries' freshness and flavor for months.

6. Freezing Strawberries

The easiest and quickest way to enjoy berries yearlong is to freeze strawberries. Not only is it highly effective with zero spoilage and lasting up to 12 months but it is best used within 8 months to preserve their original taste and nutritional value.

Place them on a wax-lined baking paper to prevent soaking of moisture. Once frozen, move them to a Ziplock bag and store them in the freezer. Once thawed, they may appear darker with a softer texture so it’s better to make use of them while chilled.

7. Drying Strawberries

While freezing strawberries can make them less sweet and softer which isn’t well-suited for everyone’s palate, drying the strawberries is essentially the inverse. Strawberry dried either in the oven or a dehydrator turn into an excellent sweet snack due to the removal of moisture and concentration of sugar.

Sugar is an excellent natural preservative which makes this technique an excellent long-term storage method lasting for 12 months without any need for additional sugar. Hull the strawberries and dehydrate while monitoring at 130-140°F (54-60°C) for 7-15 hours to prevent burning.

8. Making Preserves

In our humble opinion, making preserves out of strawberries is the best way to store strawberries because it’s only natural to lose flavor over time despite not going bad. However, this technique enhances their natural flavor without altering their original texture.

If unopened, the preserves can easily last 1 year but should be consumed within a month with refrigeration. Combine hulled strawberries and granulated sugar in equal parts (cups) along with ¼ part lemon juice. Stir boil for 10-15 minutes until thickened and store in sterile containers in the refrigerator.

9. Making Jams

If you don’t like the thicker consistency of a preserve, you can make the equally sweet jam. Simmer mashed strawberries in equal parts cups of granulated sugar with ¼ cup of lemon juice. Stir boil for about 10-15 minutes at 220°F (104°C) temperature until it reaches your desired consistency.

Pour the hot jam into sterile jars ¾ of the way and screw the lids. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes and store them in a cool dark place. Jams also last for up to a year without opening.

10. Canning Strawberries

Canning strawberries combines the sweetness and yearlong longevity of making a preserve but is also a good way to prevent the strawberry from changing its original natural shape and texture but also requires a lot of time, effort, and specialized utensils.

Wash and hull the strawberries then place into a sterilized canning jar and pour hot sugar syrup. Leave about ½ inch of headspace and close the lid on this heterogeneous suspension. After processing them in a boiling water bath store them in a cool dark place.

1. Store Unwashed

Although already mentioned previously, it is worth reiterating due to the sheer impact it has on the longevity of your berries short-term when storing in the refrigerator and not washed with a vinegar solution or being drastically transformed for long-term storage.

2. Keep the Stems On

Another previously mentioned short-term storage advice worth repeating is to keep the stems on the strawberry. They help prevent oxygen from gaining a more direct path to the interior of the berries for the oxygenation process which makes the berries last longer.

3. Use Shallow Containers

Another useful tip for storing strawberries short-term is to use shallow containers with a wide base. Tall containers and narrow containers such as jars force you to stack strawberries on top of each other which can cause bruising due to the weight of all the berries pressing down near the bottom and encourages water loss and spoilage bottom-up.

4. High Humidity

Strawberries thrive when stored in a humid environment as it prevents the initiation of the osmosis process which prevents water loss from the surface of the strawberry. However, humidity alone isn’t sufficient since moisture can encourage rot, thus proper air circulation is also necessary which is helped by well-ventilated containers.

5. Inspect Regularly

Check and inspect your strawberries regularly, whether stored outside or in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. No method and technique is perfect and some of the berries might end up molding which should be removed immediately to prevent spread to the rest of the berries.

6. Crisper Drawer Climate Control

Not all fruits and vegetables are stored best in the same conditions even in the crisper / produce drawer. Most crispers have a slider which is meant for controlling the climate and airflow. A fully closed slide produces a highly humidity climate with no airflow which is ideal for preventing leafy vegetables from shriveling up.

Whereas a fully open slide encourages good airflow and low humidity making it best for preserving fruits and preventing the buildup of ethylene gas. Strawberries are best stored in a half-slider setting.