Berries are one of my favorite foods, and are a staple ingredient in many Kalejunkie recipes. From my Paleo Strawberry Shortcakes to my Healthy Blueberry Cheesecake Bars, berries are one of those universal ingredients that work in a variety of different and delicious ways! But, if there’s one downside to berries, it’s that they tend to only last a few days at best.
In my opinion, there’s nothing worse than buying a fresh container of berries, only for them to spoil just a day or two later. So, I’m excited to introduce you to this hack that will extend the lifetime of your berries and keep them fresher for longer. This hack is super easy to do, and will make sure that you have berries that stay fresh for weeks!
Okay friends, I need to have a humble brag moment: we have officially reached 150K followers on TikTok. Can you believe it?! I’m so proud of the community that we’ve created together, and I’m so grateful that I get to share healthy and delicious recipes with you every single day. It truly is something that means so much to me, and I don’t take it for granted for even a second.
Recently I shared this same berries hack on TikTok, and it got over 4.7 million views. 4.7 million! That number is SO insane to comprehend, and I’m so shocked at how many people didn’t know this hack! Once I saw how many people were excited about this hack, I knew I needed to share it here. After all, you deserve the freshest, most delicious berries all of the time!
And the good news about this hack? It’s incredibly easy. All it takes is a few minutes to preserve your berries for weeks on-end, and save you time and money spent on new ones.
Why Should You Keep Berries Fresh for Longer?
The short answer: because berries are expensive, and there’s nothing worse than throwing out a half-eaten container of berries, just because they’ve begun to mold.
The long answer: look, berries aren’t cheap, and while you can get frozen berries for cheaper, they just aren’t the same. Fresh berries are so much better for all of your baking and snacking needs. Frozen berries contain a higher water content, which can negatively impact your recipes if they aren’t thawed or rinsed out. Fresh berries take the time and work out of this, and ensure that your recipes turn out perfect, every time.
But this isn’t just about fresh versus frozen berries. In general, a few berries go a long way. This is about making sure that you get your money’s worth out of the berries that you buy.
How to Keep Berries Fresh for Up To Two Weeks
To prepare the berries, start by adding 1 cup of white vinegar and 3 cups of water to a large bowl. Next, add in the berries and allow them to soak for 10 minutes. This will get rid of any mold, bacteria, and/or pests.
After the 10 minutes are up, strain the water from the bowl and use a paper towel to pat the berries dry. Then, grab a glass container and line it with fresh paper towels. I recommend using unbleached, organic paper towels so that no chemicals seep into your berries!
Once the berries are fully dry, place them in the container on top of the paper towels. Line a fresh sheet of paper towels on top of the berries and place the lid on the container.Store your berries in the fridge, and they should stay good for up to two weeks!
A Note on the Paper Towels
For this hack, I strongly recommend using organic and/or unbleached paper towels to store your berries. This may seem like another extra step, but I promise, it’s worth it. Using conventional paper towels can lead to bleach and other chemicals from the paper towels seeping into your berries, and we don’t want to be consuming that.
I recommend checking out brands like Seventh Generation and Reel for their organic paper towels! And this tip goes for ALL types of cooking and food storage, not just this one!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Ingredients
- 1 Container Berries, This "hack" works well for any type of berries!
- 3 Cups Water
- 1 Cup Distilled White Vinegar
Instructions
- Start by adding 1 cup of white vinegar and 3 cups of water to a large bowl.
- Next, add in your berries and soak for 10 minutes. This will get rid of any mold, bacteria, and/or pests.
- Then, pat your berries dry with a paper towel.
- Grab a glass container and line it with fresh paper towels. I recommend using unbleached, organic paper towels so that no chemicals seep into your berries!
- Once your berries are fully dry, place them in the container on top of the paper towels.
- Line a fresh sheet of paper towels on top of the berries and place the lid on the container.
- Store your berries in the fridge, and they should stay good for up to two weeks!
Recipe In Action
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What others are saying
This works beautifully! Also I love just grabbing the berries straight out of the fridge.
Woohoo! I am so thrilled that you loved this “hack” Loni! Thank you so much for your review!
Have tried this too many timers to count. Berries NEVER get dry!
ore mold this way than not washing until time for use.