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Strawberries kept fresh for ‘max flavour’ with easy method – but there’s a catch


Preserving food for as long as possible is something that we are all aware of when going to the supermarket.

As food bills get higher and our purse strings tighter it is no wonder we are looking for new ways to keep food edible for as long as possible.

One person has taken to the online forum site Reddit to ask for advice on the best way to keep strawberries fresh for longer.

The post started: “I got 8lbs of strawberries from our local food bank. What’s the best way to store or preserve them. I hate to see them go to waste. As it’s just myself and my dad there’s no way we can eat them all in a timely manner.”

Despite the fruit not being in season just yet with the best strawberries being picked from June, they still taste great.

READ MORE:Signs tinned food ‘should not be eaten’ and how to make it last ‘indefinitely’

People took to the comment section of the thread to share their words of wisdom with one person writing: “I just freeze mine whole. I put them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze first, then once they are frozen put them in a bag together. That way when you use them later you can take out just what you want without it being one big clump stuck together.

“You can also freeze them in a sugar pack. Depends on what you are planning on doing with them once they are thawed.”

A user replied to this comment and said: “But only if you want “mushy” strawberries after defrosting. Great for baking, smoothies, in yoghurt, and for making marmalade, not so much for things where a firmer texture would be important.”

Another suggested: “Freezing them or dehydrating them could work! Wash them and then cut them into little slices. For freezing, place them on a cookie tray (with parchment paper) and pop the cookie tray in the freezer until solid. Once solid, you can place them in a zip lock bag and then just keep them in the freezer.

“For dehydration, put on a cookie tray (with parchment paper) and put them in the oven at about 200°F (93°C) for about 2 hours, flip them, and then continue for about 30 minutes to an hour. Take em out, let them cool completely and then store them in a ziplock bag or ball jar. There are recipes online if you need more guidance or want to know what they should look like.”

A third said: “When you dehydrate them you can powder them up and they are a great natural way to get intense flavor when you make strawberry frosting. I’m sure there are a billion yummy things to do but that’s the one I’m familiar with.”

Another commented: “8 pounds is a lot!

“If you really can’t eat them all, just the 2 of you, despite all of these great ideas, why not make care packages for your neighbours.”

A fourth added: “Well, strawberries start losing both flavor and nutrition as soon as the tops are cut off. So do not cut the tops off. Keep them out if you are going to make them the same day, otherwise refrigerate them.

“For maximum flavor preservation, as soon as you buy them cook them into a jam or freeze them. You can freeze them with the tops on if you like eating the tops, otherwise cut them off and freeze immediately.”

Another said: “Freeze a bunch of them and then whatever you think you can realistically eat put in Mason jars.”

And finally, one person said: “You can make refrigerator jam! If you do a cooked strawberry refrigerator jam with pectin it is good for a month. You can do other versions without added pectin and they’re good about 2 weeks.

“For fresh the best way to store them is rinsed in a vinegar solution, dried well (test used salad spinner lined with paper towels) and in a loose sealed container lined with fresh dry paper towels in the fridge. While rinsing them sort to use any that seem a bit beat up first. Should last 8 days for the most part.”

Have you tried any of these methods before?

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