Sweet Frugal Life

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How To Keep Strawberries Fresh

By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

The Best Ways To Store Strawberries To Keep Them Fresh Longer

It’s strawberry season at my house! Oh how I love picking fresh strawberries from the garden. There is just nothing better than sitting on my backyard deck eating a bowl of freshly picked strawberries. However, the one thing I do not like about strawberry season is when my beautiful, perfect strawberries start to go bad (so sad!!!). Fortunately over the years I have learned a few tricks about how to keep strawberries fresh! It takes a little extra work and prep, but it is so worth it to keep your strawberries from spoiling quickly.

These tips for keeping strawberries fresh work for both garden strawberries and store bought strawberries! I try to look for strawberry sales during the spring and buy a huge batch to eat throughout the week.

Feel free to pick and choose which method you prefer for your preventing spoiled strawberries! I’m just sharing a few of my favorites below.

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1. Wash Strawberries In Vinegar Solution

I’m super excited to share this first method for keeping strawberries fresh (prob because it’s my fave!) I learned it a few years ago and my life changed! Seriously! I’ve thrown so many less strawberries away, making my belly and wallet very happy!

One of the best ways I have found to keep your strawberries fresh longer is to wash them in a vinegar solution before storing them in the fridge.

I love this method because:

  • It’s easy
  • It’s quick
  • It’s cheap
  • It works!

Washing strawberries in a vinegar bath only takes a few minutes of prep time, but will make a huge difference (promise!).

To make your vinegar solution, simply combine one part vinegar to three parts water in a clean sink (I honestly just eyeball this part!). Place your strawberries in the vinegar solution and let them soak for about 5 minutes. Make sure to stir them around a few times so they all get evenly bathed!

After 5 minutes, rinse the strawberries thoroughly in a strainer and lay them on a paper towel to dry for 1-2 hours.

Once the strawberries are thoroughly dry (this is important!), put them back into their original container and store them in the fridge.

I personally like the containers that strawberries come in from the store, but I know a lot of people swear by these storage containers from Amazon.

2. Store Strawberries in a Mason Jar

Another way to keep your strawberries fresh longer is to store them, unwashed, in an airtight glass mason jar.

I’ve tried this strategy a few times and it does a great job at prolonging the life of your strawberries.

I love the mason jar method because:

  • It’s easy
  • It’s quick

However, I have found a couple of things that I don’t like about this method.

The first thing that I don’t like is that the bottom layer of strawberries tend to become soft and mushy fairly quickly. The weight from the strawberries stored on top of them tend to squish the bottom layers, making some of your delicious strawberries go bad faster than they should (which is what we are trying to avoid!!).

And the second thing I dislike about storing strawberries in a mason jar is that a mason jar typically doesn’t have a large storing capacity. So, you will need a few jars to store a large amount of strawberries. This isn’t a huge deal breaker, but just something I have noticed.

3. Store Strawberries Unwashed in Fridge

Another storing method I have tried is to simply store strawberries in the fridge unwashed. I know, I know…..unwashed sounds a little absurd, but there is good reason behind this idea.

Strawberries will begin to spoil when they are wet, so if you store them pre washed you will ensure the strawberries don’t experience any excess moisture.

I love the unwashed strawberry method because:

  • It’s easy
  • It’s quick
  • It’s cheap

However, I have learned that this method will not keep your strawberries fresh for days and days. If you plan to eat your strawberries within the next day or two, storing them unwashed in the fridge will work just fine. But, if you want them to last longer, then I would recommend trying a different method.

A Few Tips to Remember

I have used each of these three methods in my attempts to keep my strawberries fresh.

However, I don’t believe they are all created equal, and I highly recommend you give the vinegar wash a try! Although it is a little more time consuming, it has worked the best for me!

Here are a few tips for you to keep in mind:

  • Strawberries need to be stored dry. If you wash them, make sure to let them thoroughly dry before refrigerating. I have found that storing strawberries in the fridge, on a paper towel will help absorb any excess moisture.
  • Make sure to remove any moldy strawberries before storing strawberries. One moldy berry in the container will ruin the rest of the bunch.
  • Keeping strawberries on your counter for a day will be fine, but if you want them to last any longer than that, you will want to store them in your fridge.
  • Strawberries are very easy to freeze! I love buying strawberries on sale, or picking them from my garden and freezing them for long term storage. Here’s my easy tutorial for freezing strawberries!

In Conclusion

Now that we have gone over a few different ways you can keep strawberries fresh longer, it’s time for you to try out the different methods and pick the one that works best for you!

Don’t forget to read a few of my other articles to help you keep your food fresh:

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Now you know how to keep strawberries fresh!

How To Freeze Peas For Beginners

By: Sweet Frugal Life4 Comments

How to blanch peas for long term storage.

I have been spending a lot of time in my garden this week, and it just makes me so happy!  Gardening takes a lot of work and effort to get those little seeds to grow; but harvesting brings the greatest reward.  This year we were excited to have a huge crop of peas.  I’ve been freezing them so we can enjoy these peas throughout the entire year.  I can’t wait to teach you today exactly how to freeze peas.

Peas are one of my favorite vegetable to grow.  There is just something about shelling peas that warms my heart and brings some old fashioned nostalgia.  Plus, you will never taste a pea as delicious as one straight from the garden, promise!

Freezing peas is the best way to preserve the sweet, fresh flavor you can only find from freshly picked peas.  Plus, it’s so quick and easy to do!

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How To Blanch Peas

The first step to freezing peas is to blanch them.  This word might sound a little scary if you’ve never heard it before, but it’s actually so simple! 

Blanching is the process used to preserve vegetables flavor, color and texture.  This is a necessary step when freezing vegetables, so please don’t skip it!

Wash Peas

Before blanching your peas make sure to give them a good wash.  This can easily be done by rinsing them with cold water.  Washing your peas will get rid of any lingering dirt or grime, which is important!

Boil Water

Once your peas are nice and clean it’s time to start the blanching process.

Over your stove bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil.

Boil Peas

When your water has reached a roaring boil, add your washed peas.  Make sure you don’t add them before the water is fully boiling.

Return the water back to a boil and boil peas for 1.5 minutes.  The timing is important.  Set a timer to be sure you are exact.  Remember, the timer should only begin once the water is back to a hard boil.

Prepare Cold Water

While your peas are boiling, prepare your cold water. 

This is really easy to do!  Simply fill a bowl with cold water and dump in some ice cubes.  There aren’t exact measurements, all that matters is that the water is kept ice cold.

Add Peas To Cold Water

After the peas have boiled for 1.5 minutes, drain the hot water and immediately add the peas to the cold water bowl.  Allow them to sit in the ice water for 1.5 minutes, or until they are completely cooled down.

How to Freeze Peas

If you have made it this far, congrats!  You have finished blanching your peas!  Now, all you need to do is freeze them (don’t worry it’s so quick!).

Divide Blanched Peas Into Freezer Bags

When freezing peas you can either use freezer bags or a vaccuum sealer.  I have used both, but find myself using the freezer bags more often.  They are a little bit easier to pull out, but a vacuum sealer does a better job of getting air out, which is important. does get out more air.  The choice is yours!

Drain your peas one last time and then get out your freezer bags (or vacuum sealer depending on what you are using).

Divide your peas into dinner sized portions for your family.  I put about 1.5 cups into each bag, because that is how much my family will eat with one meal. 

Seal Bags

Lastly, you will need to get all of the air out of the bag.  This is very important to prevent freezer burn. 

I like to lay the bag flat on the counter and use both of my hands to slowly get the air out, and then quickly close the baggie. 

Once the air is out, write the contents and date on your bag and throw it into the freezer. 

You are done!  Enjoy your fresh and delicious peas year round!

 

In Conclusion

Freezing peas is so easy!  I love to do it while I’m watching a good movie or talking with my kids.  Trust me, if I can do it, you can do it!

 

Don’t forget to pin this article for future reference:

how to freeze fresh peas - how long to blanche peas

I hope this article helped you understand how to freeze peas.

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