Today’s post is the first of {hopefully} many educational posts. I am trying to give you tips & tricks on this blog that I have learned on my own or through culinary school. This one is totally a Pinterest trick that I learned. I had to test it out & let you know if it worked & I am pleased with the results. If you saw my Low-Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam recipe, then you know I had a lot of strawberries from a flat (8lbs) of strawberries I had purchased super cheap ($3.99!)  I went through my strawberries, picked out the moldy/rotting ones & then did this little trick:

Place whole strawberries, stems & all in a clean sink with 1 part white vinegar to 10 parts cold water. (I did 2 cups of vinegar to 20 cups of water–I had 8lbs of strawberries after all.)  The vinegar cleans, sanitizes, & kills mold spores keeping the strawberries fresh longer (The vinegar does not affect the taste.)  The cold water shocks the strawberries to wake them up a little bit, helping them stay crisp. Let soak for 5 minutes.

 Then, GENTLY spin strawberries in a salad spinner until mostly dry. 

Place clean & dry strawberries in a paper towel lined bowl (to help soak up any extra moisture) & leave uncovered in the refrigerator. Done!

I know this cleaned the strawberries really well because my sink was full of dirt after I finished with all the strawberries.

I bought my flat of strawberries on a Wednesday, did this trick on Thursday & half of them (4lbs) have lasted almost 1 whole week!  We of course ate some of the softer ones, made jam with others, & then I had a party for my friends with fruit & Coconut Cream Fruit Dip (my favorite & most popular recipe.)  I would say the majority of them lasted 4 days after washing them, & then they started getting a little wrinkled on the outside by days 5 & 6. They were pretty ripe when I bought them too.

This trick should work on any berries you have. Try it!

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