How to clean strawberries to last longer

NOTE: This technique was adapted from Brittany Macdonald's Snapguide. I'm making my own guide so my children will have it for reference!

Get your strawberries. If you just went strawberry picking like me, you may have to do this in smaller batches. I cleaned all of these in 4 batches.

Pour 3/4 c. vinegar in a large bowl.

Why vinegar? Vinegar naturally kills bacteria that water can't wash away. Don't worry. You won't be able to taste the vinegar at all. Try it and see! 😊

Add 4 c. water. This helps dilute the vinegar so berries won't have a vinegar taste and helps wash away dirt. Stir.

Add strawberries. You can clean a little...

... or a lot! Keep them in the solution for 3-5 minutes, gently pushing down the strawberries with a spoon. You want to make sure each berry gets soaked.

Remove berries and place in a strainer or salad spinner to remove solution.

If you use a salad spinner, spin slowly and don't overfill the container! You don't want mashed berries!

The solution will look like this. Eww! Dispose of the vinegar and water, rinse, and start with Step 1 if you have another batch of strawberries to clean.

Place a paper towel over a plate and place strawberries on paper towel.

Gently pat dry to remove any excess water.

Place a clean paper towel in an air-tight container and add strawberries.

Cover with another paper towel, then place lid tightly. Voila! Your strawberries as clean and ready to eat, and will last longer than if you just rinsed them with water! Enjoy!

You can also use this method for cleaning other berries such as blackberries and blueberries. Try it and see!