Why You Should Only Wash Your Fresh Strawberries If You're Ready To Eat Them

Strawberries are sweet, refreshing, and outrageously short-lasting. As soon as we bring them home from the store or the farmer's market, the clock starts ticking. Then, we're nervously inspecting them every day, hoping they'll stay fresh for just a little longer. If you find that your strawberries are going bad at a record speed, you might not know that keeping them dry is one of the best ways to keep strawberries fresh. That means washing all the berries at once, way before you're actually going to eat them, is a big no-no.

Now, there's no doubt that rinsing strawberries (and all of your other produce, for that matter) is necessary — you never know what the fruit came in contact with throughout the supply chain. Strawberries are very porous, meaning their surface is full of small holes that can easily be penetrated, which is why the berries need to be washed extra well. It's precisely that porous nature, paired with the fruit's thin and delicate exterior, that leads strawberries to go bad when exposed to water and put in the fridge. 

You're much better off washing them as you go, to ensure you're getting the freshest fruit over a longer period of time. By the same token, you also shouldn't be pre-cutting the berries or removing their green leaves, either.

The internet is full of tips and tricks on how to store strawberries for maximum longevity, but the truth of the matter is that the simplest path is usually the best. It's totally okay to keep them in the container they came in, as long as you go through it first and pick out any odd-looking ones. Then, put the container in the crisper drawer of your fridge because it has low humidity and good airflow. The main goal of storage should still be keeping the berries as dry as possible. Paper containers will automatically soak up any additional moisture, but plastic containers can't really do that — plus, they can build up condensation — so keep an eye on them. When you start noticing the signs of moisture in the container, the strawberries' days are numbered.

There is also something to be said about strawberries simply being a highly perishable fruit. Ideally, they should be eaten within four days, maximum a week. Anything longer than that borders on wishful thinking. The berries do freeze very well, however, so that's a great way to preserve them for a longer time. But, if you're dead-set on enjoying them fresh and have a large quantity to eat, we know of some creative ways to use up fresh strawberries like turning them into ice cream or adding them into drinks.