How to Make Your Strawberries Last Longer
Learn how to make your strawberries last longer with this simple, 5-minute hack. This trick will keep your strawberries fresh for weeks!
How to Keep Strawberries Fresh in the Fridge
Have you ever bought strawberries (or any berries for that matter) only to have them go bad a few days later? This used to happen to me all the time, especially toward the end of the season, and it hurt having to get rid of berries I had just paid for.
Luckily, there’s actually a really easy way to make your strawberries last longer. All it takes is a bit of vinegar and water, and your strawberries will stay fresh for WEEKS instead of days.
I honestly didn’t think this little trick would work at first, but I gave it a try anyway because it was my last hope. The result? My strawberries lasted for almost two weeks in the fridge! I was amazed!
FYI: This will work on any type of berries.
How it Works
It is SUPER simple. Here is all that you need to do:
- Step 1: Mix one part vinegar with 10 parts water.
- Step 2: Soak your strawberries for 2 Minutes
- Step 3: Drain the strawberries
- Step 4: Set them out to dry for about 20 minutes (I put them on paper towels)
- Step 5: Put them back in a container
- Step 6: Enjoy them for weeks!
Just six simple steps and you can keep your berries fresher, for longer! That means whenever berries go on sale, you can buy more than normal knowing that the freshness will actually last!
When I did it for these strawberries, I used 5 cups water to 1/2 cup vinegar. After I drained them, I didn’t rinse them off (you can if you would like) but there was absolutely no hint of a vinegar taste at all on the berries.
You may be wondering, “Why use vinegar?” Well, the vinegar kills the mold spores that are already growing on the berries so it lengthens the shelf life!
How to Store the Strawberries Afterwards
I just washed out the original container and stored them back in it because it has nice ventilation.
That’s How to Make Strawberries Last Longer
That’s really all there is to it! Most of you have vinegar in your pantry already so you might as well use it to help your berries last even longer.
We all know how expensive fresh fruit can be sometimes so it is best to make the most out of it. Give it a try and let us know how it goes!
This is not only great with strawberries; you can use it on all of your fresh produce!
Check out 3 ways to make bananas last longer.
I have a great essential oil product that I use for washing my apples. Send me an email at cathy @ fabulesslyfrugal.com if you want to learn about that.
Recipes for Your Strawberries:
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Strawberry Freezer Jam
- Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Good Til the Last Bite Strawberry Pie
- See more strawberry recipes!
Looking for a fun little tool that almost anyone in the fam can use to hull strawberries? Here’s my favorite strawberry huller.
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I would think if you rinse them, you are just putting a new bacteria on them since tap water has some bacteria in it. I have been doing this also for the last few weeks with all my vegetables. It has made my veggies like okra and stuff last a lot longer, but for my berries they are staying fresh for about a week, if they last that long. 😉
Hmmm…maybe my berries were greener at the store 😉
The printed part of the recipe you say 5 cups water and 1 cup white vinegar. But when you are giving step by step directions you state 5 cups water to 1/2 cop vinegar.
Picture with vinegar says 10 cups water, 1 of vinegar, she cut the recipe in half
No, the recipe was reduced wrong. It either needs to say 10 cups water to 1 cup vinegar or 5 cups water to 1/2 cup vinegar. I think Colleen was noting the change in case someone prints out just the recipe.
Hey Kearna I want to thank you for sharing. I just bought some strawberries and knew I had read this on the Internet but wanted to make sure first. Another question, after soaking and draining the berries do I store them in the refrigerator or leave them on the counter in their original container.
Hi Linda! Leave them out on the counter until they are dry, then put them back in a clean container (original is fine, just wash it first) and put in the fridge. Great question! 🙂
I am SO glad this worked! I am making cheesecake stuffd Chocolate Covered strawberries for my Mom for mother’s day!
YUM!
Awesomeness! Just bought a bunch of strawberries & was planning on making a pie, some jam & maybe freezing some. Going to do this trick now & maybe not freeze. Love it!!
Yum! 🙂
I am sure you copied this tip from bountiful baskets. At least give credit to them.
Sad, sad, sad! This tip is all over the internet and if she says she doesn’t remember where she got it, what is the big deal? I am just grateful she thought to share with those of us who had not heard of this before.
Thanks Amy! It is all over the internet and that is why I can’t remember which place I saw it first it could have been anywhere. It definitely wasn’t Bountiful Baskets because I never visit their site and it is a twist on a post we did last year: https://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2012/07/diy-homemade-vegetable-wash-preserver.html
Thank you for the tip no matter where you got it from – so sad you have to contend with negative comments!!!
yes, do you use only White Vinegar? I love your tip thank you so much for sharing with us.
Can we use this on our veggies?
I have always used white vinegar so I don’t know if apple cider vinegar would work or not.
My mom used this very recipe with every berry and fruit we picked. I am 66 and there was no internet then. Thanks for reposting the ratio. I had forgotten it. Some things are just passed down through the years. If mama knew it, no telling how many more mamas passed it along….
Your response was so classy. Just disregard those who are bitter of tonge and spirt. It’s a great share. Thank you.❤ I’m sure the Lord was pleased with your response. He was edified by your sweet spirited answer.
Seriously Mary? Come on.
Rude
Tupperware sells a great container called Fridge Smart that helps your berries and other produce last WAY longer by regulating the air flow in tje container! My strawberries last for 2-3 weeks every time! I wonder if this trick would make them last even longer!
Great tip Ana, THANKS!
I read an article in the Family Fun magazine that said to wash your strawberries/berries with water that is 120 degrees for 30 seconds and that will also kill the spores and my berries end up drying out and never mold. Works every time.
Thanks Shawnna!!! That is very interesting!!!! I’ll have to try it!
I use a large plastic container with a lid and put a paper towel on the bottom and then a single layer of strawberries – don’t cram them in and if they don’t touch, even better. Place another paper towel on top of this layer of strawberries and you can add more layers. Do Not Wash the strawberries before putting them in the container. When done, put it in the refrigerator. I got this technique from a strawberry farmer in Oxnard, California, the Strawberry Capital of the World.
That’s an awesome tip, thanks for sharing it!
This is a great idea and so helpful!
I have been using this same tip for a few years now also!! It is so great!! I have even cut out a step in that I submerge my strawberries in the plastic container they come in and then just let them drip dry in the sink for a few minutes before I put it into the fridge. This is the first thing I do with my berries so once the container goes in the fridge I don’t have to worry about dirty berries!!
I like that!
Thanks so much everyone. I’ve had a hard time w/ my berries this year; waiting fridge raton part for fix. I can do this w/o any problem. My pocketbook thanks you too! 😉
So glad you like the tip!
I will try this! My sil showed me years ago that if you layer paper towels in a Tupperware container with dry strawberries they will last over a week!!! But two weeks WooHoo!! Can’t wait to try this!
Thanks for the tip!
Thank you for this! I am lucky to get them to last 2 days so will definintely be trying this!!
That is how fast mine would go bad too so I LOVE this trick!
I am definitely going to have to try this. I bought strawberries Tuesday night and by Friday morning they were moldy.
That’s what would happen to me too, but this definitely helps! 🙂
We are snow birds and have a terrible time keeping vegetables, fruit, potatoes, etc not going bad just after a few days. Are any of you wonderful ladies from Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Carolina’s, Georgia have any tips or suggestions?
H-E-L-P!!!
I’m from NC. I store potatoes in a dark, dry cabinet. They last a long time.
I swear by Tupperware’s Fridge Smart System to help my produce last longer! They’re the reason I joined the company! I’ve run my own completely unscientific tests on them and everything lasts a minimum of a week longer! Check them out! my.tupperware.com/anafranklin
That’s good to know…thanks for the tip!
Thanks for the info.
Hi, don’t you dry them before putting them in the original container?
Thanks
Honestly, I didn’t dry mine all the way…I’m sure it would be better if you did.
My husband was worried that the vinegar taste would linger, but it didn’t!
Nope! So cool!
I think it makes them sweeter
This is a fabulous idea! I spray my strawberries with vinegar but this works even better! Thanks so much for the tip!
I bought strawberries today they were on sale and I need to keep”em fresh till Friday, trying the vinegar trick for the first time, hope it turns out great
Thanks for the tip!
If you keep unwashed berries in a glass jar with a metal lid they will keep for a long time. Plastic doesn’t work.
That is a great tip! Thanks!
Should be 1/2 cup of vinegar or a whole cup?
Kortney: That depends on how much water you needed to use to cover the strawberries. 10 cups of water to one cup of vinegar is the same as 5 cups to 1/2 cup — that is, a 10:1 ratio (that’s “ten to one” in case you don’t remember that phrase from school {I’m a bit surprised that I did.])
(And yes, I know that I’m answering a 3+ year old question/comment, and that you prob’ly figured it out and saved many containers of strawberries since then, but I just found this post today, and someone else may have the same query in the future)
Hi, do I need to dry the strawberries before I put it back in the containers?
I just saw this today and was extremely happy to find it. Tho, I have to say, I was unhappy when I see that some people need to be negative just so they can say SOMETHING. Anyway, I love this tip and can’t wait to try it. I live on strawberries and bananas because I use them in my shakes twice/day. I have some disabilities and when I buy in bulk it is hard to get them all done quickly. This will help – knowing that I can wait a few days and not have to rush. THANK YOU SOO MUCH for the help. I can’t wait to try it later today. Always ignore the bad comments.
I use this technique too and it really works! I learned the heard way though because I initially used more vinegar and my berries “cooked” and became soggy! XD
So glad to have found this as it validated someone else telling me about it. Growing up we bought huge bricks of cheddar cheese and over time it would become lightly moldy or get that white film on it just before it got moldy. Grandma would wipe the brick we were using down with vinegar then store it in the fridge wrapped in cheesecloth dampened in vinegar and that helped stem the growth; kept it fresher longer. . She used apple cider vinegar, but it’s pretty strong so maybe the white is better. There was always a distinction between vinegars in those days: cider vinegar was for cooking and white for cleaning! Haha!
I’m late to the party, so I hope someone can answer this: When I get strawberries, I rinse them prior to using because they often still have soil on them. Should I wash the strawberries first before soaking in vinegar since you don’t recommend rinsing them after?
That is a great question. YES, rinsing off before soaking them is fine.