I purchased these strawberries at a Farmers Market. A few weeks ago, I was able to store them well enough to last all week. My method was to soak them for 3-5 minutes in a bath of 6 cups water, 3/4 cup vinegar, wait for them to dry, then lay them on a paper towel, lay a paper towel on top and add another layer of berries, and so on. (Detailed in this video https://youtu.be/PsYlbR0C16U?t=3m9s ) Finally, I place the lid on, and put the container in the fridge.

Lately I've been doing 3 cups water 1 cup vinegar instead because it is easier to remember, and I soak them for more like 5-8 minutes. Because I have such a high volume of strawberries, I pat them dry instead of waiting, and I dump each layer onto the paper towel instead of arranging them perfectly. This time I used ACV instead of white vinegar. I saw that the berries were a little moist, so after I let them sit in the container a few hours, I removed them and repeated the layering with new, dry paper towels.

I don't know if it's because I'm buying them in the summer heat and driving them home in a hot car, or if my vinegar portion is no good, but these berries are holding miserably. I bought these on Saturday and it's only Monday today. What are these moist spots? I've been cutting them off and tossing the okay bits in the freezer, but should I be tossing the berries? It's not mold, is it? Some of the berries look yellow on the inside, but I think they were like that when I bought them.

What am I doing wrong? I worked really hard to preserve two half-flats on Saturday, and it's hard to believe that these berries are already going bad. All that work for nothing. They really should be lasting longer than two days.

by NaturoHope

4 Comments

  1. honeystrawbscake

    well the ratio of .75/6 compared to 1/3 for your vinegar ratio may be the problem. and also considering you left them in longer possibly. I would say you are possibly using too much vinegar. Try to keep a notecard or notebook for these things so you can reference them to keep the ratios right. don’t wanna pickle them! 🙂

    edit: i just did a google search and i am seeing ratios of 1/4, 1/3, and 1 tbsp of vinegar for 12 cups of water. I am also seeing on another post a ratio of 1/6 for 5 minutes. It also says adjust accordingly in everything I see so maybe it varies based on the volume and size of the strawberries

  2. sprinklesthepickle

    It’s too hot and strawberries already looking wilted at the farmers market.

    I don’t wash them right away but I put paper towels in the tray or whatever they come in and wrap the strawberries in them. This doesn’t last a week but it last 3-4 days. It does get shriveled up by day 4 though.

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