I buy almost everything in bulk, as you can see from my colossal size vinegar. My family loves to eat berries, but often we end up throwing some of them out because they have started to mold. I have read in several places that to preserve the life of your produce you shouldn’t wash it until you are ready to eat it. The water from washing promotes mold. This is where my issue about wasting food comes into play. Sometimes we don’t eat it because we are in a hurry and don’t have time to wash it. When that happens I’ll end up moving along to the pantry, which contains foods that are not nearly as healthy or satisfying.
My cousin from California has been washing her berries in vinegar to help preserve them. Apparently the vinegar kills the mold spores and any bacteria on the fruit and slows down the molding process. I tried it out and it works. Now I always have fresh berries for my family to snack on.
Here is what you need to do:
Add one part Vinegar to 10 parts water
Bathe berries in mixture
Rinse thoroughly
Place on paper towels to dry
Store in an airtight container
I always put a folded paper towel at the bottom on the container to absorb any additional moisture. When the towel gets damp I just remove it. And to answer the question you’re asking yourself; no, you do NOT taste the vinegar.
Thank you, thank you for sharing this! Found it on Pinterest and I’m going to share with everyone I know!
Joan,
First of all LOVE your web site name! We too are chocolate lovers! We have two recipes and a smoothie posted on our blog that are chocolate related. There are two more on the way! (Do you think we have a problem?) Thank you so much for reading,commenting and for spreading the LOVE. We actually saw a spike in our Facebook referals today. You ROCK!
Silly question for you…after bathing the berries in the vinegar mixture, you say “rinse berries”. Do we rinse with water? Thanks for your info! I LOVE this website. <3
Michelle,
Not a silly question at all. Yes! Rinse your berries with water, then let them dry completely. I dry mine on a paper towel. Thank you so much for checking out our blog and for your comments.
I learned this tip about a year ago and it is the BEST tip ever. I’ve told all my friends and even random people at the grocery store. No more moldy berries for me. It especially works great with blueberries. I can keep fresh blueberries in my fridge for weeks. They start drying up like raisins before they’ll get moldy. Everyone should try it!!
Shelly,
I hate throwing away fruit. It makes me sick to think about all the fruit I wasted before learning this tip. Thanks for your comment. We appreciate your support!