One day I came across a way to prevent your fresh berries from getting moldy in the refrigerator. I pinned it but hesitated to actually try it. Yes, berries tend to mold very quickly once I get them home, but I just wasn't sure about this "technique".
The idea is from Food Lush. It says to wash them in a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water. It is supposed to kill bacteria that causes the mold. Let me tell you ... I NEVER wash my produce until I am ready to use it. Introducing moisture to the produce can promote the growth of mold. I finally tried it ... and it worked! I'll tell you exactly how I did it.
- In a large bowl I combined 1/2 c. white vinegar with 5 cups of water.
- Next, I set the little plastic basket-like container of berries into the bowl. (Let me explain my rational here ... I figured that there is a reason why they use those specific packages for the berries and thought it would be best to continue to store the berries in them. Then I thought, well if I wash the berries and not the container ... the bacteria is still in the container and will recontaminate the berries ... thus I chose to wash the container too.)
- Then, dump the berries into the bowl and set the container to the side to dry. Swish the berries around in the water/vinegar mixture.
- Finally, I used a slotted spoon (you could drain in a colander too , but I do large batches at a time) to scoop out the berries and return them to their containers.
- You could pat them dry on a paper towel, but I was afraid of introducing new bacteria so I chose not to. Also, you can rinse the berries after washing the solution, but the amount of vinegar you use truly does not leave any flavor on the berries.
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