We Asked An Expert How To Keep Berries Fresh For The Longest Time — The Most Important Steps Start At The Store

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There's nothing more delicious than a bounty of berries, but those juicy bites are a ticking time bomb. It's a race against the clock to enjoy them before they spoil, and sometimes it feels like you can't eat them fast enough. Lisa Steele — the master gardener known as the host of "Welcome to My Farm" and author of "In Season" — knows all about having an abundance of berries and has offered some fantastic tips to help keep them fresh for as long as possible.

It all starts at the store. "Check the cartons of berries carefully at the grocery store and be sure there aren't any squashed or moldy berries," Steele advises. "Choose berries that look shiny and ripe. Starting with fresh berries is the first step to berries with the longest shelf life." That means checking the bottom of the clamshell, and even opening it up to peek inside for an errant moldy berry hidden amongst the others. Once you have berries in your possession, however, don't dilly-dally.

"Don't leave the berries in a hot car while you do other errands," Steele adds. "Go straight home!" Berry-buying should be your last stop as you're running errands. "Then, as soon as you get home, refrigerate your blueberries and raspberries," she continues, "and rinse your blackberries and strawberries, dry, and refrigerate them." Note that not all berries should be washed immediately — a common berry-buying myth. Delicate blueberries and raspberries should only be washed when you're ready to eat, while blackberries and strawberries should be rinsed and thoroughly dried before refrigeration.

Once you've secured the best berries you can find, be sure to store them properly. "Don't store wet berries," Steele cautions. "Let them dry completely first. And store them in a wide, shallow container, not a narrow, tall container." It's important to ensure that you use the proper sort of container to keep your berries fresh. She adds, "Berries are fragile and will squash easily if they're stacked too high."

Worried you won't get through all your berries fast enough? Consider long-term storage in your freezer. "You can freeze all types of berries," Steele reveals. "Simply rinse the berries as described above (in this case you will want to rinse all kinds of berries), then spread them out in a single layer on paper towel-lined baking trays to dry." After they're dry, get rid of the wet paper towels and use parchment paper instead. "Then, spread the berries out in a single layer again on the trays and freeze them," the expert continues.

Of course, once they're frozen, you can then split them across several freezer bags or containers. "The berries will last for months in the freezer and can be unfrozen to make pies, smoothies, sauces or other dishes," Steele adds. What should you do with all those frozen berries? From pancake toppings to fruity cocktails to enjoying them straight out of the freezer, the best way is entirely up to you.