John Myers
Nothing beats fresh strawberries in summer. Whether straight from the field, from the market, or from the supermarket: the red berries are sensitive – and need to be stored properly. We reveal tips to keep strawberries fresh for as long as possible.
Seductively red and sweetly scented: the strawberry season is one of the loveliest times of the year. As a rule, the season for domestic strawberries begins in early to mid-May. The main harvest time is then in June and July.
This way strawberries stay fresh longer
Strawberry farmers are complaining about a significantly lower demand for the sweet fruit this year than in previous years. The consequences are falling prices: the national average is less than five euros per kilo of strawberries. For the farmers, however, the costs have risen in recent months: the prices for energy and fertilizer as well as labor costs have increased.
Anyone who can afford a bowl of fresh strawberries in view of the generally high food prices at the moment should handle the red fruits with care so that they stay fresh for as long as possible. Our tips for this.
Storing strawberries correctly: tips
Whether you pick it yourself from the field or from the supermarket: the delicate fruits taste best fresh and should not be stored for long. If stored correctly, strawberries will stay in good shape for two to three days.
Treat strawberries like raw eggs
Strawberries are delicate fruits and bruises easily. Therefore, you should carefully transport the red berries home.
Examine strawberries
At home, you should examine the strawberries carefully: are there moldy fruits in the bowl? You should dispose of these immediately.
It is also best to cut out bruises and brown spots directly and eat the fruit quickly: they are better off in your mouth than in the fridge.
Don’t wash strawberries
Don’t wash the strawberries before putting them in the fridge. Otherwise, the fruit will lose some of its sweet aroma. The moisture can also help the berries rot faster.
Of course, you should always wash the juicy berries before eating them. But not under running water: A jet of water that is too hard can damage the sensitive fruit and lead to muddy spots.
It is best to place the strawberries in a bowl of cold water to clean them. Then drain in a colander and cut out the stem and sepals just before eating.
Store strawberries properly
Strawberries stay fresh longer if they are stored in a cool and airy place. Optimal place: the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
The more space the berries have, the better. Therefore, do not keep strawberries in the plastic bowl, but place them on a plate lined with paper towels. The fewer strawberries on top of each other, the better.
Storing Strawberries: Can You Freeze Strawberries?
You can freeze strawberries without any problems and thus extend the strawberry season. Unfortunately, the fruit becomes mushy when it freezes and after defrosting it can only be used in pureed form for smoothies, strawberry sauce, or jam.
The best strawberries are regional and organic
Local strawberries are only available in the summer months from May to July.
You shouldn’t buy the red fruits before or after that: imported strawberries from Spain, Morocco or Israel often contain a lot of pesticides (among other things so that they survive the transport) and have an extremely bad ecological balance: the long transport route, the cooling and the Huge amounts of water that the fruits need in the southern growing countries cause massive damage to the environment.
Strawberries from regional producers are the best and freshest, so there are no long transport routes. Since strawberries from Germany are often heavily sprayed, it is best to buy organic goods: Studies have repeatedly confirmed that organic products are on average much less polluted than conventional fruit and vegetables.
How to recognize good and fresh strawberries
- Only buy ripe fruit that is already red and has no bruises. It is better not to take strawberries with a greenish-white tip with you, these fruits are still unripe. The problem: The unripe berries don’t ripen, so they lack the wonderful strawberry taste.
- If you discover mushy fruit in the bowl: better leave it alone.
- Let your nose decide: Strawberries that smell sweet and aromatic taste like strawberries.
- Whereas strawberries, which don’t smell like anything, usually don’t taste like anything either.
