With spring finally here fresh berry season is just a few months away. In just a short time the sweet fruits will be available at the farmer’s market, road-side stands and grocery stores. Fresh strawberries are beautiful and delicious but they have a tendency of spoiling quickly.

The normal shelf life for strawberries isn’t very long and though many families have no trouble finishing off a carton of berries in a couple of days, or even hours, sometimes you’d like the edible fruit to last a little while longer. The good news is that there is an easy tip that will help keep strawberries fresh longer, allowing you more time to enjoy them. The secret is vinegar.

It might sound surprising but a mixture of water and vinegar can help extend the life of your fresh strawberries. The ph of vinegar helps to kill mold spores and bacteria on the strawberries. This mold and bacteria speed up the spoiling process of the fruit so killing them helps to keep the strawberries fresh longer.

Keeping Strawberries Fresh Longer:

• Rinse strawberries under cool water and then place them in a bowl.

• For every 2 cups of water stir in ¼ cup of vinegar (apple cider or white)

• Pour the vinegar mixture over the strawberries agitating gently to dislodge dirt and bacteria

• Allow the strawberries to sit in the mixture for 5 minutes

• Drain the berries in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cool water to remove any remaining dirt as well as the vinegar flavor

• Allow berries to dry before placing them in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Line the container with paper towels which will absorb moisture extending the life of the strawberries.

*Note: This washing solution will work with other berries as well including raspberries and blackberries.