I recently learned a trick to keep berries fresh longer — all you need is vinegar and a paper towel!
Rinse berries in a 1:10 solution of vinegar (white or cider) to water, then drain and let dry completely before bagging with a paper towel. Leave the tops on strawberries.
Getting the berries as dry as possible before bagging is critical. If you put them back into the bag slightly wet, they are still likely to rot. Putting a paper towel down in the bottom of the bag, then placing the berries in, seems to really help. A day or two later, I remove the paper towel, which has soaked up the last few drips of water.
Just the vinegar rinse helped keep my berries fresh longer, but adding the paper towel really upped the longevity (and yes, I tried just the paper towel without the vinegar and it also didn’t do nearly as well as the combination). Thanks to my neighbor Linda who told me about this when she gave me a bag of strawberries from her garden!
I have always rinsed berries when I bring them home so that they’re ready to eat, but adding some vinegar to the water has really made a difference in how long they last. I’m guessing it’s nearly doubled how long I can keep them.
In case you’re wondering — no, I can’t taste the vinegar at all once the berries have dried.
Doing a little bit of checking online, apparently the mildly acidic vinegar solution kills any mold or mildew that may be starting to develop. In Mexico, I always used a very mild bleach solution to rinse my produce and kill any bacteria so I wondered if that would also help the life of berries (we rarely had fresh berries there so I didn’t remember). Tried it and the bleach didn’t seem to help at all. Okay, I learned a science lesson: bleach is alkaline and vinegar acidic, so it must be something specific about using a very mild acid.
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Simplify meal prep on board with proven strategies for provisioning, maximizing fridge space, and cooking delicious meals aboard your boat.
The Boat Galley says
Not quite sure how that “Happy New Year” got there. Autocorrect? Oh well have a fantastic day!
S/V Dos Libras says
Just bought some strawberries at the produce market, will try this! Thanks!
Kathryn Oler says
Carolyn, Did you mean 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water?
Carolyn Shearlock says
Yes I did! I corrected it in the article. Thanks so much!!
Sue says
Vinegar is great for lots of things… perhaps another article Carolyn. And so much better to use a food chemical than a cleaning product.
Kathy Moore says
Are you storing the berries in a zip lock bag or the green bags?
Carolyn Shearlock says
I use Ziploc, as I’ve never had great luck with the green bags.
Dave Skolnick (S/V Auspicious) says
I wonder if paper bags might be better, as they are for mushrooms?
C. C. MacNair says
Good idea on using vinegar because of the acid content. In my younger days I used acid and today at 64 most people think I am in my 50’s !!! LOL
Tony Gariepy says
The best way to keep berries fresh is to eat them faster than they spoil!!!!
The Boat Galley says
We’ve been doing some of that with granddaughters!
Tony Gariepy says
Is it easier to eat the granddaughters faster than they spoil??
Tony says
Using a “Salad Spinner” very gently is another good way to dry the berries after the vinegar/water rinse.
Dina says
It also works very well with raspberries. I rinse them as you mentioned with the vinegar water and let them dry. I put them back in the same plastic container I bought them in. I do add the paper towel to the bottom of the container. It is amazing how much longer they last. So simple.
Lisa Targal Favors says
You always have the best information!
Susan Geelmuyden says
You really don’t want to rinse at all until you’re ready to eat them.
Dave Skolnick says
Eat them faster. Problem solved. *grin*
The Boat Galley says
Yeah, but that would mean I eat everything on Day 1 of the trip!
Larry Whited says
This is definitely information we can use!