An Expert's Tips For Prolonging The Life Of Your Berries

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Whether eaten as a snack or incorporated into a delicious smoothie recipe, berries are among the tastiest fruits. They also offer much in the way of nutrition, thanks to their high concentration of antioxidants, which can boost heart health. The only real downside to these wholesome fruits is their propensity for rapid spoiling. We've all been there: You bring a carton home from the grocery store, blink, and suddenly your berries are moldy. To avoid this dreaded outcome, Mashed spoke with Holly Capelle, author of "Preserving the Seasons," a cookbook that highlights preservation methods like canning, freeze-drying, dehydrating, quick-pickling, and more. Capelle explained how to store berries for short periods of time, and gave us guidance on long-term storage methods as well. 

The delicate nature of berries contributes to their high susceptibility to mold. As such, Capelle says, "It's best to avoid rinsing berries until you're ready to eat them." Instead, she advises to "Remove any blemished or moldy berries from the bunch and store [the rest] unwashed, in a breathable container, in the refrigerator." Using this method, the berries should keep up to five days. The initial quality of the berries can also affect the rate of spoilage, so choose wisely. Avoid common berry shopping mistakes by fully assessing the color and condition of the fruit before adding it to your cart. 

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If you're interested in extended fresh fruit storage, author Holly Capelle says freezing is the way to go. However, many take the wrong approach to freezing berries, such as tossing them into a freezer bag and calling it a day, which can impact their texture. Capelle recommends a two-step strategy to protect berries headed for the freezer. "Rinse them, spread them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze them for 2 to 4 hours or until frozen solid," the preservation whiz instructs. Once frozen, the fruit can be relocated to a sealable container and stored in the freezer as you normally would. Any frozen fruit that's stored properly can theoretically last forever, but keep in mind that the berries' overall quality will eventually decrease. 

Capelle has another storage suggestion more in line with her area of expertise. "For the longest storage, using specially designed appliances, consider dehydrating and freeze-drying them," she tells us. Food dehydrators work by cooking food at a low temperature for an extended period to remove moisture and concentrate flavor. As for freeze-drying, this process involves quickly freezing fruit at sub-zero temperatures to eliminate moisture. From there, freeze-dried berries can be vacuum-sealed, which transforms the ice into vapor instead of liquid.