100+ Fresh Strawberry Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What to do with fresh strawberries before they go bad? ›

Rinse with vinegar solution: Soak strawberries in a vinegar solution (one-part white vinegar and three parts water) for a few minutes. Then drain them, pat them dry, and place them on a clean paper towel in a glass container. Loosely place the lid on and store in the refrigerator.

Arrange the berries in a shallow container, separating out any damaged berries. Cover them loosely, and keep at 35 degrees for best results. Do not remove the caps or wash the berries until you are ready to use them. When caps are removed before use, the berries lose some of their moisture.

Add 1 tsp. of baking soda to 4 cups of water, and soak your strawberries in a large bowl for five minutes. Then, rinse your strawberries with cold running water and pat them dry. Baking soda helps remove dirt, traces of pesticides, and more from fresh fruits and vegetables.

Soaking strawberries in salt water will help dislodge any hidden dirt or bugs. (Gross, we know.) That said, it's normal for there to be some earthy residue on the berries, but if you're particularly concerned about bugs, give them a soak in salt water.

Where is the best place to store strawberries? Unless you plan to use the strawberries right away, it's best to store them in your refrigerator to preserve freshness. Unrefrigerated, berries will last only a few days; stored in the fridge, they could last up to a week.

Strawberries will stay their freshest when dry and cold, and any added moisture will soften the strawberries and encourage mold growth. So instead of washing all of your berries right when you get home from the store, wash them as you plan to eat or prepare them.

After grabbing a box of the ruby red fruit from the store, you want to make sure your strawberries are properly cleaned before taking a bite. Washing strawberries ensures you and your family don't consume any unnecessary grime, bugs, or chemicals (because no one wants a contaminated strawberry shortcake).

Many people erroneously believe that “fresh is best”, but when it comes to berries, the frozen varieties have a higher concentration of nutritional elements, and are often spared from the large amounts of pesticides that are used on fresh berries found in a supermarket.

What's more, washed berries stay mold-free for several days longer than their unwashed counterparts.” So go ahead and wash those berries. You'll be doing them (and yourself!) a favor by allowing them to stay fresher for longer.

Does cutting stems off strawberries make them go bad faster? ›

Tearing off leaves or stems and especially hulling the strawberries will expose the mold-prone juicy flesh to air and bacteria, speeding up the rotting process. It might be tempting to get a jump on your prep, but doing so is a sure way to say sayonara to your fruit.

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.

Storing Method: Stored in an airtight glass jar.

About this method: One method I had seen a handful of experts suggest is storing fresh strawberries in an airtight glass jar (like a Mason jar). You just place your unwashed strawberries straight into the jar, screw the lid on, and pop it in the fridge.