In the summer, the question often arises of how to keep strawberries fresh in the refrigerator for several days. This berry is really quite capricious and requires a special approach. In this material we will look at different ways of short-term and long-term storage of strawberries at home, and also learn how to choose the right berries.
Strawberries (or rather strawberries) can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for several days
How to choose or pick the right berries
How long they will remain fresh largely depends on the initial quality of the berries . They should be completely red, but dense, without dark spots. This applies to both purchased and strawberries collected from your own plot.
One of the first strawberry varieties brought to Russia from England was named after Queen Victoria (it does not exist in its pure form now, since it has been replaced by much more successful modern varieties).
When purchasing, pay attention to the walls of the tray: if there are pieces of crushed pulp there, the entire product may turn out to be stale. There should be no mold on the berries: even if only one or two are spoiled, the rest may already be infected with spores.
Of course, it is impossible to inspect the entire purchase at the market or in a store, so at home, immediately sort through the berries and remove any darkened or soft ones. If there is no mold on such specimens, it is better to use them immediately, for example, for baking or eating.
If possible, for storage you should choose varieties that tolerate transportation well . (But there is one significant objection. Keeping quality and transportability are truly interrelated qualities, but transportability and taste are exactly the opposite. The reason is the peculiarities of strawberry ripening. As natural sugars accumulate in the berries, their cell walls become thinner and destroyed. In fact, the berries begin to deteriorate already during the ripening process. Many modern varieties bred for cultivation in commercial quantities are characterized by a very low rate of sugar formation in tissues (that is, the berries ripen, but there is little sugar in them). This quality is genetically determined. It allows the berries to be well stored and transported , but it is precisely because of this that the taste and aroma of the product, to put it mildly, leaves much to be desired. This is especially noticeable in imported strawberries, which are sold here in the winter. In closed containers, they lie on the shelves at room temperature, remaining very beautiful and completely tasteless for weeks So, having followed the advice about choosing a variety, you need to prepare for the fact that the berries will be well preserved, but will not give you the pleasure with which you eat perishable, but so aromatic and sweet seasonal strawberries of a less “advanced” variety.)
It is advisable to pick strawberries in dry weather
On your own plot, collect strawberries in the morning, when the dew has dried. It is advisable to do this in dry weather, but even after rains the crop should not be left in the garden for a long time, otherwise it will deteriorate.
If you rarely visit your dacha, you can pick pink berries; they will ripen at home. There is no point in collecting green ones.
How to properly prepare fresh strawberries for storage
If you harvest from your plot, then you need to do this on a dry sunny day. And when buying at the market or in a supermarket, you should choose dry specimens, without traces of juice on the box in which they are stored.
The fruits should not look limp or dried out. Before storing the berries, they must be sorted, removing spoiled, moldy and those that have begun to soften. Remember that fruits that will be eaten in the near future can be washed only before consumption.
Their spongy structure actively absorbs moisture and quickly deteriorates. But those fruits that are frozen for a long time must be washed and the tails removed from them.
When choosing a storage method, you focus on the volume of raw materials that need to be processed. When the volume is large, several different methods are used to increase the variety of dishes on the winter menu.
Cold storage
You can store strawberries in the refrigerator, depending on their original condition, from several days to 1 week.
You need to wash the berries immediately before eating - if you do this in advance, they will quickly lose their freshness and become soggy. The exception is when most of the crop turns out to be darkened or moldy.
Damaged specimens are selected, and the remaining ones are sprayed with a mixture of vinegar and water (in a ratio of 1:3) from a spray bottle. The treatment will restrain the development of spores, but in this case it will still not be possible to store the berries for a long time.
If the berries are wet, dry them gently with paper towels.
It is best to store strawberries at a temperature of 0 to +2 ℃, so it is recommended to place them in the vegetable compartment (they can stay there for a week). At temperatures above +6 ℃ the shelf life is reduced to 3 days. If you keep the berries at room temperature in an apartment, they will remain edible for a maximum of 2 days; let’s put this information in a table:
| Place | Temperature | Shelf life |
| Vegetable storage compartment in the refrigerator | 0…+2 ℃ | Up to 1 week |
| Shelf in the refrigerator | +6 ℃ and above | Up to 3 days |
| Table in the room/kitchen | +15…25 ℃ | Up to 2 days |
It is advisable to store strawberries in a wooden container, birch bark basket, or in a plastic or silicone colander - access to oxygen will help maintain an optimal level of humidity and the berries will not become moldy.
You can store strawberries in the refrigerator in an open plastic container.
You can also use an open plastic container or a loosely sealed plastic bag .
The fewer berries there are in the container, the longer they will remain edible. There should be no moldy food nearby, so if there are already other fruits in the refrigerator, sort them out.
How to preserve fruits for the winter
To keep strawberries fresh you need:
- do not wash the berries before storing;
- prepare containers with holes;
- spray with a vinegar solution to prevent molding of the crop;
- Dry the fruits by placing them on paper towels or napkins.
Place the berries in one layer so that they do not touch each other.
How to Store Fresh Strawberries in the Refrigerator
In the lower compartment of the refrigerator, where the air temperature reaches +2 degrees Celsius, garden strawberries can remain fresh for up to 2-7 days.
Before storage, it is necessary to place dense berries at a distance of 0.5-1 centimeter from each other. It is better to take containers from wood, cardboard or plastic. Cover the berries with cotton cloth or gauze in 2 layers. This way the air will circulate and not stagnate.
Do not forget to monitor the condition of the fruits every 2 days. If mold appears, it is better to use healthy fruits for food or for making desserts.
Freezing
Freezing has long been used as an effective way to preserve berry harvests. Select whole specimens of fruits, put them in a container in one row, after drying them. Cover the top with cling film. Once the berries are frozen, they can be placed in bags and left in the freezer.
Fresh frozen immediately after harvest. Strawberries are placed in containers with the stems facing up and placed in the chamber.
It is better to freeze strawberries in sugar. To do this, whole fruits laid out in a container are sprinkled with granulated sugar. In winter, such strawberries will decorate desserts and drinks.
It is worth pouring whole berries or their halves with syrup. To do this, prepare a filling of 300 grams of sugar per liter of water. When the syrup boils, add 5 grams of citric acid or a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. After the syrup has cooled, pour it over the strawberries in a container and put them in the freezer.
Strawberry puree will also be delicious. It is prepared by grinding strawberries in a blender. Then mix the berry mass with sugar in a 1:1 ratio. Place the puree into containers and freeze. In winter, you can cut off pieces of the product and add it to porridge, cottage cheese, and drinks. A cocktail made from kefir, banana and 2-3 spoons of frozen puree is also tasty.
Sugaring
The color and aroma of garden strawberries can be preserved throughout the year if you prepare candied fruits. For preparation:
- select fruits of the same size;
- washed under running water;
- put in a colander and leave for better drainage;
- the berries are placed in a saucepan, covered with layers of sugar (400 grams per 1 kilogram of berries);
- keep under the lid for a day;
- drain the resulting juice, adding sugar to it;
- bring the syrup to a boil and lower the berries there for 7 minutes;
- make sure that the pulp does not boil.
Now all that remains is to remove the fruits with a slotted spoon, free them from excess syrup, and keep them in a colander. The finished product must be dried in a dryer or oven at a temperature of 50 degrees. To do this, lay the berries on a wire rack or baking sheet covered with parchment paper. The finished products are placed in dry jars, sterilized in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator or cupboard.
They eat candied berries instead of sweets and add them to pastries, muffins, pastries, and pies. And the syrup left over from cooking can be poured into jars and placed in the refrigerator.
Storing dried strawberries
The easiest way to dry the berries is in the oven. To do this, take whole fruits or cut them into 2 parts. For tea, you can cut it into cubes or slices. The product is washed and laid out on a towel to dry. Heat the cabinet to 45 degrees, place a baking sheet with strawberry slices laid out in 1 layer. You can place parchment paper on a baking sheet. During the drying period, the berries are turned over several times. At the end of the procedure, you can increase the air temperature to 60-70 degrees. If, when squeezing the fruits, they do not stick to your fingers, then they are ready for storage.
The temperature in the strawberry dryer is set to 50-55 degrees. Slices 4 millimeters thick dry faster. Place the fruits on the grill in one layer so that they do not touch each other.
In an air fryer the process proceeds faster. The berries are ready in 1-2 hours. They do not need to be turned over, as the process proceeds evenly.
Freezing
You can store strawberries in the freezer for up to 1 year, but since this berry consists of 90% water, there is a risk that after complete defrosting it will lose its shape.
Before freezing, remove the sepals, wash and dry the berries. Strawberries can be frozen like this:
- Entirely . In this case, you can simply serve it on the table or use it for chocolate fondue. Since thawed berries are softer than regular ones, they are more difficult to cut into neat slices, but they are easy to mash into puree. To protect the preparations from becoming soggy, you can dip them in yogurt or melted chocolate in advance - you will get a ready-made candy.
- Sliced into slices . Neat pieces are well suited for decorating baked goods and other desserts. In addition, in this case the strawberries will freeze more evenly and faster.
- In the form of puree . It is used for smoothies or cocktails, as a filling for baked goods, etc. Even soft berries are suitable for this preparation.
Whole berries or slices can be placed in freezer-safe plastic or glass containers or ziplock bags. To store puree, use ice or ice cream molds, as well as portion cups.
You can make many desserts from defrosted puree.
Prepared strawberries can be poured with sugar syrup before freezing. It helps to better preserve the taste, aroma and shape of the fruit, but in this case they turn out to be very sweet, which not everyone likes. In addition, it will be more difficult to use part of the workpiece.
To prepare the syrup, dilute sugar with water in a 1:1 ratio. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator, then pour over the berries so that they are completely covered. This syrup can also be added to puree; in this case, about 4 parts of sugar are used for 5 parts of berries.
You can also store strawberries in pectin syrup - it keeps the shape of the berries worse, but does not make them too sweet. The proportions for its preparation should be indicated on the packaging.
Tip: To preserve the color of the strawberry puree, sprinkle it with lemon juice.
If you plan to store strawberries without syrup, first arrange the berries in a single layer on a tray and freeze for several hours. Only then transfer them to a container, otherwise they will stick together. Leave about 1.5-2 cm of free space - when the berries freeze, they expand.
To prevent the berries from freezing, first freeze each one separately.
The berries need to be defrosted gradually in the refrigerator. Rapid defrosting, such as in the microwave, will make them too soft. It is advisable to eat them while still cold.
How to store strawberry products
Strawberries are loved not only as a berry, but also as an additive or topping to various products. For example, strawberry jam can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months. If you follow a couple of rules: keep the lid tightly closed for 3 to 6 months.
If the jar is open, eat it as soon as possible; such a product can last no more than 10 days. If you leave an open jar of jam to be stored for more than a week, keep in mind that mold may appear.
To protect the product from mold, add more sugar and close the lid tightly; the important thing is to prevent air from getting inside.
Strawberry rolls should not be stored in the freezer, since strawberries in any form do not like low temperatures. If you nevertheless transfer the jam to the freezer, you may end up with berry ice. But when defrosted, the berry will lose its taste.
If all jars are sealed and stored under the right conditions, then such a product can last for more than a year. This is the only way the product can retain all the usefulness within itself.
Delicious strawberry puree can be kept in the refrigerator, because we use fresh berries. It is best not to store such a mass at room temperature. But the refrigerator can preserve the product for 3-4 months.
When defrosting, keep in mind that the berry loses its vitamins and will taste like sweet water. The ideal container for grated strawberries is glass. Now there are many lids to keep the glass hermetically sealed.
Strawberry compote is a winter treat for everyone. Vitamin deficiency often occurs in winter, but such berry preparations can bring many benefits to your body. A frequently asked question is how long can strawberry compote be stored?
After all, this is a processed product, and if it is sealed hermetically, it will retain its qualities for a very long time? In fact, such compote can be stored for about 10-12 months. It is not necessary to store compote in the refrigerator; a cellar or pantry is an excellent place for storage. This way the product will retain all the beneficial substances for a long time.
Strawberries ground with sugar can be stored for 3 to 6 months. A longer shelf life can only spoil the product. The ideal vessel for such a dish would be a glass vessel. Because it can be hermetically sealed.
Some strawberry lovers make strawberry butter. Interestingly, its shelf life varies from 2 to 12 months. The shelf life depends on the additives present in the oil. Storage temperature should not exceed 15 degrees Celsius.
Few people think about how long chocolate-covered strawberries can be stored. The answer will surprise you - no more than 5-6 hours! Undoubtedly, it is possible to extend the shelf life so that the strawberries do not rot and the chocolate will be just as tasty, but this is a rather complicated process. Therefore, we advise you not to store strawberries in chocolate but to eat them immediately.
Storing strawberry and mascarpone dessert. Everyone knows that desserts are perishable foods, and even more so when you add strawberries. You can store the dessert in the refrigerator until your guests arrive. Please note that after 8-10 hours dessert should no longer be eaten.
Strawberry wine. Shelf life of strawberry wine. This type of wine is no worse than others. When cooking, you don’t have to think about additives, flavor enhancers, etc. Because this type of wine has its own distinct taste and smell. Keep in mind that the longer the wine is stored, the stronger it will be.
How to store strawberry wine
Like all wines, the best place is out of direct sunlight. This could be a cellar or storage room, where the air temperature does not exceed 10-12 degrees above zero. It is very important that there is ventilation; you can ventilate the room once every 3-4 days. It is best to store bottles in a semi-lying state.
How to preserve the beneficial properties of strawberries with sugar without cooking? If you decide to store such a product in the cellar, then please note that there should be no drafts or dampness in the room. Undoubtedly, with any processing of strawberries, they lose a small part of the vitamins. Whether it's grinding, boiling, canning or freezing.
Drying strawberries. How to store dried strawberries. This type of strawberry storage is quite rare, as it requires special attention and time. But dried strawberries can be stored for quite a long time. The main thing is to ensure that it does not become airy and protected from pests. Thick cellophane bags work well, and you can simply store them in a kitchen cabinet.
Sugaring
You can preserve strawberries for the winter without cooking or freezing by candying them.
You can prepare the workpiece like this:
- Pour sugar into clean berries in a ratio of 1:0.8 to 1:1.5. The longer you plan to store the product, the more sugar you need. It is advisable to pre-cut large fruits.
- Place the strawberries in a cool place overnight. From time to time the workpiece needs to be mixed.
- Mash the strawberries with a blender or pestle until pureed.
- Sterilize and cool glass jars (warm ones may ferment).
- Fill the jars with strawberry puree, about 1 cm short of the top. Fill the remaining space with sugar.
In this case, you need to store strawberries in the refrigerator or cellar, and in winter - on the balcony. At a temperature not higher than +6 ℃, the workpiece will remain edible for 6 months.
You can preserve strawberries using sugar
You can pour 1 tbsp into jars. l. vodka. It will allow you to preserve the berries longer, but you will no longer be able to give this product to your child.
Strawberries contain a large amount of pectin and folic acid, help strengthen the immune system, and improve mood thanks to the “joy hormone” it contains. However, please note that it can cause allergies, so children and pregnant women should use this product with caution.
