How To Prep and Store Fresh Strawberries To Make Them Last

Step 1

When you bring your strawberries home in either a closed plastic clamshell container or you’ve picked berries from a strawberry plant, place strawberries in a large bowl filled with cold water (not warm water!). Let the strawberries sit in the water for 2 minutes. It’s a good idea to gently use your hand to move the berries around and help any dirt to get removed.

Step 2

Pour the bowl of fresh fruits into a large colander and rinse with cool water.

Step 3

Place a towel on your counter and lay the berries in a single layer on the towel. Now the important part – let them sit out for 2-3 hours to fully dry. If put the strawberries back in their original container, or straight into the fridge they’ll go moldy quickly.

Step 4

After a few hours, you’ll want to take the whole berries and cut off the tops along with any signs of spoilage – look for soft spots and get rid of those, they will contaminate the whole bunch! Pre-cut the strawberries to the size you’d like.

Step 5

Take a paper towel and lay it on the bottom of your shallow container. Add a single layer of the prepped strawberries, and if it’s a larger glass container, add another paper towel between layers.

Step 6

Add your lid to make the container air tight, and store it in the fridge!