It may come as a surprise, but the best way to store strawberries is actually in the freezer. That’s right, you heard me right, freeze-off the strawberry. This is a wonderful method of preserving the strawberry, because when you thaw it out after storing, it will have a nice thick consistency to it, much like a thick smoothie that you might make for your children at summer camp (you can make strawberry ice cream as well if you like). The reason why freeze off the strawberry is that it won’t have any liquid to go along with it when you’re ready to eat it.
- So how can you best take care of this wonderful fruit and keep strawberries fresh? It is best to keep them covered when they are not in use. And you can’t do without a great dessert recipe using strawberries. A strawberry and chocolate combination is always a hit. You could also make a strawberry milk smoothie for those extra special occasions. In addition to using strawberries in all these recipes, you can also make a delicious pudding or even a variation on raisin cinnamon pie.
- But, strawberries don’t always taste that fresh. When berries are overripe, they lose their crispness. This is not so true of all the red berries, as the skin of the berry will continue to easily ripen too, but there are ways to preserve the taste. One easy way to store strawberries that will ensure they stay fresh for longer, and tastes better, is to add them to a smoothie.
- If you can only use store-bought frozen strawberries in your recipes, don’t be afraid to throw some of them away. The ones in your fridge might be sweet enough, but they are more prone to spoilage than the fresh ones that are sitting around in your fridge. When you have a freezer full of frozen strawberries, use them in all your favorite desserts, and you won’t even be sorry you did it! It’s better to put a few fresh ones in your smoothie, rather than one-third of a cup of berries that are going to go bad before you know it! You can freeze strawberries in individual slices, as well, so that you can serve them right from the freezer, instead of having to mix up a batch of delicious recipes using frozen strawberries.
- Another way to preserve the freshness of the strawberries you get at the store is by rinsing them before using them. All it really takes is a quick rinse under warm water, and then a quick-drying with a towel. It will take about two minutes to rinse them and toss them in your bowl of smoothies. After that, simply wipe off any excess moisture from the rinsing.
One thing that many people do when storing strawberries is to wrap them up tightly in foil. This can actually ruin the flavor because it prevents air from getting to them. If you want to ensure that air is able to get to them, just leave them in their original packaging, but open the foil. Now, this may sound like a lot of extra work on your part, but if you are in a rush and need fresh strawberries as soon as possible, it’s probably the best solution for you. When you buy strawberries in bulk, it’s always best to have as much as you can get your hands on, in order to maximize its freshness.
