How to Properly Wash & Store Berries So They Don’t Mold & Stay Fresh Longer!

Today I’m sharing my time and money-saving kitchen hack for How to Wash and Store Berries so They Don’t Mold. That way they and are always ready to grab and go when you need them.

In this tutorial, you will view my complete step-by-step kitchen hack for keeping berries fresh and mold free for over a week! Furthermore, see video tutorial and step-by-step photos below.

Today I hit up my local farmers market, and ohhh my goodness—they had the juiciest, ripest strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. I mean, how could I not grab them all? It was a total berry jackpot! 🫐💥

The only problem? It that berries this sweet usually go bad in like, 2–3 days max. And let’s be real—my family cannot eat them that fast. So they end up moldy, mushy, and totally wasted. But not anymore! I have tried and tested several way to store berries and this one is the winner!

We’re about to enjoy these beauties all week long—and you can too. Yup, fresh berries that actually last.

Say goodbye to moldy berries—and hello to berry bliss! 🍓 Let’s get into it.

VIDEO TUTORIAL BELOW: How to Wash & Store Berries so They Don’t Mold & Last Longer

Ingredients Needed for Keeping Berries Fresh Longer

16 ounces Fresh Strawberries
2-3 Tablespoons of Distilled White Vinegar
3-4 Cups of Water
Salad Spinner works best but if you don’t have this just lay a colander inside a large mixing bowl
Paper Towels
Airtight Containers
Kitchen Towel you don’t mind getting stained

STEP 1

Start by filling your salad spinner with water, toss in the strawberries, and add a splash of distilled white vinegar—about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Distilled white vinegar contains 5 percent acetic acid, a compound that can dissolve dirt, debris, and grime. It can also kill certain types of bacteria like E. Coli.

STEP 2

Swish the strawberries around gently for no more than 2 minutes—I just set a timer to keep it easy. Keeping them too long will make them mushy. If you don’t want your fingers to smell like vinegar, you can use a spatula to gently swish them around and submerge them in the vinegar solution.

STEP 3

Rinse the strawberries with water for at least 30 seconds. This will help get all the vinegar flavor off the strawberries.

My first test run, I did not rinse the berries long enough and my husband was like…”why do the strawberries taste like vinegar?…uh, sorry honey! So by trial and error, I say 30 seconds will get rid of all that vinegar flavor! Trust me!

STEP 4

Add the strawberries to a salad spinner and spin for 30 seconds to remove as much moisture as possible. This will help reduce the drying time. You can also line it with 2 paper towels before adding in the berries if you want to cut the drying time even more.

STEP 5

Gently place the strawberries on a towel you don’t mind getting a little stained. I use a red kitchen towel. Then pat them dry—carefully. You want to get rid of as much moisture as possible, especially around the leaves. They hold a ton of water, so I like to gently rub the leaves with the towel to help them dry faster.

STEP 6

Now lay the berries out to air dry. If it’s hot out or you’re worried about a fly sneaking in, just fold the towel over them or pop a fruit net on top. The goal here is to get them completely dry before storing.

I usually wrap all my berries up in kitchen towels like little “berry burritos”, (SEE BELOW). They just chill on the counter for a few hours each weekend. But pro tip—let your family know they are in there, or someone might grab a towel to dry their hands and send berries flying across the kitchen!

STEP 7

Lastly, once berries are fully air dried, about 4-5 hours, line an airtight container with two paper towels, add the berries, and pop them in the fridge. You can do the same step for blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Just be sure to be very gently with the raspberries as show in my video tutorial.

It’s super convenient to have these ready for making overnight oats, 5 minute yogurt bowls or just to place on the table at mealtime.

See Berry Recipes Below:

5 Minute Strawberry Cucumber Infused Water

Easy Healthy Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl

No-Churn Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream

And that’s it—my tried and tested kitchen hack for keeping berries fresh for over a week. No mold, no waste, and it saves you time *and* money!

Please share your favorite kitchen hacks below, I would love to try them out!

How to Wash and Store Berries so They Don’t Mold

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Author: Ester Perez

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Description

How to Wash and Store Berries so they Don’t Mold and Last Longer

Ingredients

Scale

16 ounces Fresh Strawberries
2–3 Tablespoons of Distilled White Vinegar
3–4 Cups of Water
Salad Spinner works best but if you don’t have this just lay a colander inside a large mixing bowl
Paper Towels
Airtight Containers
Kitchen Towel you don’t mind getting stained

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Start by filling your salad spinner with water, toss in the strawberries, and add a splash of distilled white vinegar—about 2 to 3 tablespoons.
Swish the strawberries around gently for no more than 2 minutes—I just set a timer to keep it easy. Keeping them too long will make them mushy. If you don’t want your fingers to smell like vinegar, you can use a spatula to gently swish them around and submerge them in the vinegar solution.
Rinse the strawberries with water for at least 30 seconds. This will help get all the vinegar flavor off the strawberries.
Add the strawberries to a salad spinner and spin for 30 seconds to remove as much moisture as possible. This will help reduce the drying time. You can also line it with 2 paper towels before adding in the berries if you want to cut the drying time even more.
Gently place the strawberries on a towel you don’t mind getting a little stained. I use a red kitchen towel. Then pat them dry—carefully. You want to get rid of as much moisture as possible, especially around the leaves. They hold a ton of water, so I like to gently rub the leaves with the towel to help them dry faster.
Now lay the berries out to air dry. If it’s hot out or you’re worried about a fly sneaking in, just fold the towel over them or pop a fruit net on top. The goal here is to get them completely dry before storing.
Once fully air dried, about 4-5 hours, line an airtight container with two paper towels, add the berries, and pop them in the fridge. You can do the same step for blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Just be sure to be very gently with the raspberries as show in my video tutorial.

Notes

I usually wrap all my berries up in kitchen towels like little “berry burritos”, (SEE PICS). They just chill on the counter for a few hours each weekend. But pro tip—let your family know they are in there, or someone might grab a towel to dry their hands and send berries flying across the kitchen!

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Ester Perez

I’m a loving wife, mother of two healthy children, and I am obsessed with teaching people how to make delicious and mouth-watering gluten-free/Paleo friendly foods that nurture your gut!