How to Keep Berries From Molding (and Why You Can Skip the Vinegar Bath)

Step by step

1. 1

   Spread the berries out on a paper towel

   As soon as you get home, tip the berries onto a tray or plate lined with a paper towel. Spread them in one layer so you can see each one.

2. 2

   Pick out the bad ones

   Take out any berry that is moldy, crushed or spoiled. The University of Arkansas says damaged berries make the rest of the box go bad faster, so this is the step that matters most. Moldy berries go straight into the trash, and do not sniff them.

   What it looks like: the good berries look bright and whole. The bad ones look fuzzy, mushy or crushed.

3. 3

   Leave them unwashed

   Do not rinse the good berries yet. University extension guides from Arkansas and Illinois both say to wait until right before you eat them.

4. 4

   Put them back in a vented container

   Return the good berries to their clamshell, or to a container with holes that let air move through. The University of Arkansas says clamshells protect the fruit and let some air flow. If you moved strawberries to a bowl, cover it loosely.

1. 5

   Store them in the coldest part of the fridge

   Set the container in the coldest part of your fridge, which should be at 40°F or below. Do not leave strawberries out at room temperature for more than a few hours.

2. 6

   Rinse only what you are about to eat

   Put the berries you plan to eat in a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Do not let them sit in a bowl of water, because Illinois Extension says soaked berries lose color and flavor.

3. 7

   Pat them dry

   Spread the rinsed berries on a clean paper towel or cloth and gently pat them dry.

4. 8

   Take the caps off strawberries after washing

   Pull or cut off the green caps after you rinse strawberries, not before.

   What it looks like: a rinsed, dried berry with its green cap just taken off.

When it will not work, and what to do instead

If your berries still mold fast, one of these is the likely reason.

• They were already going when you bought them. Look through the package at the store. Illinois Extension says to choose bright red strawberries with fresh green caps, and to pass on any package with mold in it.
• They got washed before they went in the fridge. Next time, wait to rinse them until you are about to eat them.
• One moldy berry was left in the box. USDA says mold spreads quickly in fruit. Sort them again and pull out anything soft or fuzzy.
• Your fridge runs warm. A fridge thermometer will tell you. Keep it at 40°F or below.
• You bought more than you can eat in a few days. Freeze the extras while they are still good. USDA’s FoodKeeper gives frozen strawberries 8 to 12 months.

Why it works

Here is what is going on. Berries are soft, thin-skinned fruit, and mold can grow on them even in the fridge. A crushed berry is where trouble gets started, and once one berry molds, the spores have most likely spread to its neighbors.

So the job is to give mold as few chances as you can. Pulling out the damaged berries takes away its easy start. Keeping them cold slows things down, and waiting to wash them keeps extra water off the fruit while it sits.

Think of it like one wet sheet of paper in a stack. Left alone, the sheets touching it get damp too. Take it out early, and the rest stay dry.

So many of us know this moment. You open the box two days after you bought it, and there is a gray fuzzy layer on the bottom berries.