This Mason Jar Hack Stops Berries From Going Bad Fast

Berries of all kinds are delicious and nutritious, but they often go moldy quickly. If you are desperate for ways to store blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries to keep them fresh and edible for as long as possible, you are not alone. Their lifespan can depend on when they were picked in relation to when you grab them at the store, but there is a mason jar hack that many swear by to prolong their life. As a bonus, it even keeps your fridge looking stylish and organized. There are plenty of ways to use mason jars to make cooking and storing food easier. The gist of this hack is storing your berries in mason jars as opposed to the aerated plastic containers they most often come in. However, there are differing opinions about the other steps of the process. 

Many recommend first thoroughly inspecting the berries before they go in the mason jar and discarding any that are overly mushy, split, or damaged in some way. Then, some swear you have to wash the berries first, but others swear you should not, otherwise it won't work. Among those who do wash first, some believe you should wash with a mixture of water and white vinegar, while others think a solution of water and baking soda is your best bet. Most agree that if you wash, you must let the berries completely dry before tossing them in your mason jar. Sometimes, they even require re-drying if you notice moisture in the jar after a few hours of refrigeration. Is this multi-step process more time-consuming than just tossing the berries in your fridge in the container they come in? Yes. Is it worth it? Let's find out.

The mason jar hack works for many, keeping berries fresh and plump for more than two weeks. The name of this berry game really is moisture. You do not want to introduce extra moisture by trapping wet berries in an environment with nowhere for that moisture to escape to, since that could result in mold growth. But you also do not want the moisture present in the berries themselves to escape, leaving them shriveled and dry. So as long as you super thoroughly dry your berries before sealing them in a mason jar, the hack does seem to work pretty well. 

When it comes to how to wash your berries, the water and white vinegar evangelists are quite loud. The preferred method is to soak your berries in the vinegar mixture for a few minutes, get your hands in there to break off any stems, debris, or leaves, and then rinse the berries with cold water right after. Using vinegar can keep berries fresh for longer because it can kill off mold spores and other bacteria you do not want lingering on your berries in your fridge. However, the method of washing is really up to you since many claim the mason jar hack works even if you don't use vinegar. The most important step is to let your berries dry completely before putting them in your jars, which could take several hours. Is all this work worth it for an extra week of fresh berries? That'll be up to you!