Keeping Strawberries Fresh/Edible?

[kcjodih]

I know there was a thread about this before but now I can't find it and can't remember the advice - duh me! My kids went with me picking today for the very first time, and they're 13 and 10! They've never wanted to go before. So now I came how with the 2 larger bowls from the SS set (not the HUGE sold separately one) full and want to make them last. Not interested in freezing them since I've tried that different ways in the past and they come out mushy or bitter depending on the method. I'm just interested in keeping the fresh as long as possible so that we can eat/enjoy them before they go yucky.

I washed some and spun them in the B&S spinner and left those in the Berry basket, placed on a plate and put in the fridge. But I still have an overflowing large SS bowl full. My questions:

Do I wash them all, spin them dry and pray they last in the fridge?

Leave at room temp?

Not wash, and wash as we go?

Hull or not hull ahead of time?

I think I remember there was something about airflow and using the basket for circulation so I did that but placed on a plate and didn't hull them. What else can I do?

If there's too many in a bowl or basket such as the larger basket from the B&S spinner will the bottom ones go mushy?

Thanks to all the strawberry experts that care to respond and assist

 

[rennea]

I do wash mine and then leave them in the fridge, they will keep longer if you keep them cool.

Are you making jam?

 

[kcjodih]

I do wash mine and then leave them in the fridge, they will keep longer if you keep them cool.

Are you making jam?

Thanks for the reply Rennea! So do you hull yours after washing before storing in the fridge? And how long will they/do they last? I've never had this many strawberries for just 'eating' before!

And no, not making jam. Noone here eats it but me and I still have 10 jars in my freezer from last summer :blushing:

 

[katie0128]

I'm no help on the storing strawberries thing...

But, if you have any that you are not going to eat before they go bad, then go ahead a make some jam and put it in cutsey jelly jars for Christmas presents. If you can them properly, they will last until then. If you don't can them, you should be able to store them in the freezer until December. DH's cousin made jam a few years ago and stored it in jars in the freezer and it was delicious!

 

[stefani2]

Jodi - it was me who posted that thread - I think I posted it under Recipe Tips

I remember Ann saying wash in vinegar then rinse off with water and storing in the fridge to make them last longer. I have purchased FreshWash from Norwex - which is suppose to make produce last longer. I have also heard that the 'green bags' work well for produce.

 

[smspamperedchef]

I want to know how to make jam! We get our strawberries the good old fashioned way. From Walmart!

 

[katie0128]

I'll email her and have her send me the recipe.

 

[Pamulia]

I have used the Debbie Meyer Green Bags for about a month and they really do work. I was very skeptical but love them so much I just ordered 2 sets of her "green" storage containers. They are reuseable indefinitely, the bags reuseable 10 times.

 

[rennea]

Thanks for the reply Rennea! So do you hull yours after washing before storing in the fridge? And how long will they/do they last? I've never had this many strawberries for just 'eating' before!

And no, not making jam. Noone here eats it but me and I still have 10 jars in my freezer from last summer :blushing:

I don't hull mine. I do keep them in a Tupperware container, the one's with the vent. Mine usually keep for about a week.

 

[mpkegley]

Don't hull them, they will stay fresher that way. Not sure if "fresher" is really a word...LOL

 

[chefann]

Yeah- generally, don't hull your strawberries until they're washed (they'll get watterlogged if you do), and don't wash them until right before you use them.However, the tip I got from Cook's Illustrated that has worked great for me is to rinse berries in a mixture of 1 cup white vinegar in 1 quart water. I put that in the jumbo SS bowl and swish the berries around in it. Then rinse them briefly under running water (cool, not hot). Place them in a salad spinner lined with paper towels and spin until completely dry. The paper towel keeps them from squishing through the holes in the basket, as well as absorbing some liquid. And the microfiber towel works great. Store in an airtight container. I usually use TW Fridgesmart containers with the vents closed.If you freeze them, remember that they will be slightly soft when thawed, and will not be easy to slice with the Egg Slicer (but you can still use a knife). Place them in a single layer on a metal sheet pan (hooray! they're back!) and freeze until solid, then transfer to freezer bags.

 

[elizabethfox]

I bought some rubbermaid containers that are made for produce. They have a little tray on the bottom to keep the food from sitting in moisture and a vent in the lid to let air flow. I love them.

I suggest since you have so many strawberries to just make your own jam! Freezer jam is so easy to make. I just buy small freezer mason jars....mash up some strawberries....add a tiny bit of sugar...and add a package of Ball freezer jam pectin. The exact measurements for the sugar and strawberry amount is on the back of that pectin package. The pectin is cheap only like $2, and I love it because I don't have to boil or cook anything....just clean the jars and mix some stuff together.

 

[PampMomof3]

Is this what you were looking for?....or the Love of STRAWBERRIES!

There’s nothing that says “Hello Summer” quite like eating a juicy
vine-ripened strawberry right out of the summer sunshine. Here’s
some interesting information to share with your guests this summer!

BUYING:
• One pint of fresh strawberries equals about 3 ¼ C whole berries, or 2 ¼ C sliced berries, or 1 2/3 C pureed berries.
• In the store, shop with your nose. Always pick the plumpest and most fragrant ones. They should be firm, bright, and fresh with no mold or bruises. Caps should be bright green, fresh looking and fully attached.
• Strawberries DO NOT ripen after they have been picked, so choose ones that are fully ripened.
• Local strawberry season lasts only 3-4 weeks.

STORING/HANDLING:
• Store strawberries in a colander in the refrigerator or allow cold air to circulate. Do not cover them.
• Remove caps only AFTER washing. Caps keep the water from breaking down the texture & flavor inside.
• Prepare by rinsing with caps still attached under a gentle spray of cool water; pat dry with paper towel or use Salad Spinner. Wash them just before you plan to use them. Patting dry keeps them from absorbing excess moisture.

NUTRITION:
• Great source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). One cup of fresh strawberries provides about 88 milligrams of vitamin C, which more than meets the Recommended Daily Allowance of 45 milligrams for adults.
• Strawberries are low in calories: One cup of unsweetened strawberries has only 55 calories.

FREEZING:
• Twelve pounds or 8 quarts of fresh berries will yield approx. 13 pints of frozen berries.
• Freeze using a “dry-sugar” or a “syrup” pack. You can freeze unsweetened, but they will not be as high in quality as sugar packed berries. The dry-sugar pack gives the best flavor and color retention for sliced or crushed berried. For whole berries, a syrup pack is recommended because it produces a plump, well-shaped berry after thawing.

• Dry Sugar Pack: Halve, quarter or slice clean berries into a bowl or shallow pan. May also be crushed. Sprinkle sugar over using 1/3 to ¾ cup sugar for each quart of fruit. Gently turn berries over and over until sugar is thoroughly dissolved. Package and freeze.
• Syrup Pack: Make a syrup using ¼ cups of (hot or cold) water to each cup sugar. Dissolve sugar. If using hot water, be sure to chill the syrup before using or it will damage the strawberries. Use about ½ to 1/3 cup of syrup for each pint container. Place whole or sliced berries in containers and cover with cold syrup. Freeze.
• Unsweetened Pack: Pack whole, sliced or crushed berries in containers. Cover whole or sliced berries with water or berry juice. For better color retention, add ascorbic acid to water, juice or crushed berries. Cover crushed berries with their own juice.

• When freezing, use only firm, fully ripe berries. To avoid bruising, wash only a few at a time in cold water, drain thoroughly on paper towels or in Salad Spinner. Remove the hulls with Cook’s Corer and chill in ice water to lower its temperature for fast freezing.
• In containers, allow a head space of ½” for pints, ¼” for half pints and 1” for quarts. Freeze and store at zero degrees F or below.

STRAWBERRY STARS: Remove caps with Cook’s Corer. Cut a deep X in the top of each berry, but not all way thru. Gently spread berry apart to make “petals”. Use EAD to fill with one of the following fillings:
Cream Cheese Filling: Mix together 8 oz. cream cheese, ½ cup powdr’d sugar, 2 T light cream, 2 T orange juice, 1 tsp. orange zest.
Peanut Butter Chocolate: Mix together ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 5 T. milk chocolate chips, melted & cooled, 2 T. Cool Whip.

 

[jrstephens]

Debbie Meyers green bags work great for strawberries. Just make sure to keep wiping the moisture out.

 

[elizabethfox]

Oh I was going to say that those rubbermaid containers I purchased at Target...they had three different sizes depending on what you need them for. They were $2.50, $4.25 and $6.50. Or you could get a package with 2 small, one medium, and one large for $12.99. I have raspberries in the medium one now and I LOVE it. Works well.