Store Berries

Berries are soft fruits that can deteriorate quickly if not properly stored. This article explains how to store all kinds of berries.

Steps

  1. Select good quality berries if intending to store them. Farm-fresh berries make an excellent choice because you can be assured of their freshness, especially if you've picked them yourself or the farmer has reassured you when they were picked. In the shop, be on the look out for:
    • Berries being the color they should be; avoid any with odd spots, colors, or shades.
    • Create a Berry Shooter that are intact and in good shape. If you see signs of bruising or staining on the container, this may indicate bruising and squashing.
    • Check for signs of mold. This is common in berries that have traveled a long way and have not sold immediately.
  2. Be prepared to consume berries quickly. Berries are highly perishable food products. Our ancestors would eat them from the bush or within hours of collecting them, so we expect a great deal of berries by trying to keep them for longer! Try to consume them within 3 days; some berries may last up to a week but it's best to avoid storing softer berries for this long as it's likely they'll grow mildew sooner.
  3. Store raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. These soft berries will keep best in a sealed container in the refrigerator. For more details on each type of berry, read:
  4. Store blackberries. Blackberries can be stored uncovered in the fridge. Blackberries deteriorate quickly and are best eaten on the day of purchase or picking but should last a day or so in the fridge.[1]
  5. Store mulberries. Store ripe mulberries in the refrigerator for no more than a few days. Their fragility means that you should store them as quickly as possible.[2] And naturally, eat them soon after picking or purchasing, washing carefully before eating.
  6. Store Harvest Cranberries. Store fresh cranberries in the fridge for up to one week.[3] They should be in a plastic bag or a covered container.[4] Cranberries freeze well and also be dried.
  7. Store cloud berries. Store in the fridge for a few days and turn into delicious jam as quickly as possible!
  8. Store Make Goji Martinis. Store dried Goji berries in a container at or below 30ºC. If the temperatures are any higher than that, then place them in the refrigerator.[5] Use by the use-by date on the packet, although they will keep longer if refrigerated.
    • Goji berries taste best at room temperature.
  9. Store grapes. Grapes are classified botanically as berries, so they're included here for completeness.[6] Grapes can be stored in the their original plastic bag in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.[7] Don't wash grapes until you're ready to eat them; they are impossible to dry and the trapped water will cause them to deteriorate quickly.[8]
    • Grapes ripen quickly at room temperature. They are also best eaten at room temperature, so remove them from the fridge for eating half an hour before.[8]
  10. Store loganberries. Leave unwashed loganberries in their original container. Store in the refrigerator (the crisper is a good place) for up to one week.[9][10] Wash just before use.
  11. Store persimmons. These are classified botanically as berries.[6] Store persimmons at room temperature. Storing them in the refrigerator will cause chill damage.[9] Eat when very ripe (they continue ripening after picking); they can be eaten as a dessert in fruit salad, as a raw fruit, in baked goods, or as a preserve.
  12. Store Grow Gooseberries and currants in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Lightly cover them and ensure that they're dry prior to storage.[11]
    • Top and tail gooseberries before using. They usually need a lot of sugar added but their high pectin content makes them ideal for making jams.
  13. Freeze berries. Most berries will respond well to freezing, although you may need to be creative in how you use them on thawing. For freezing, arrange in a single layer, then stack frozen layers into plastic bags for longer freezing storage.
    • Wash redcurrants and remove the stems prior to freezing.
    • Make sure washed berries are dry prior to freezing.
    • Firm berries can be frozen directly in freezer bags, no need to layer them.[12] This is suitable for such berries as cranberries, gooseberries, and blackberries.

Tips

  • Berries can be syrup packed prior to freezing.
  • Blueberries can self-dry if left too long in the fridge uneaten. Provided they're not moldy, they will have the consistency of currants and yes, you can actually bake with them!
  • Moisture and warmth are the enemies of stored berries.
  • Lining the storage container with a paper towel is a good idea for most berries stored in the fridge. And if you don't have a lid, use cling wrap (plastic food wrap), or wax paper.
  • Many berries can be dried using the sun, a dehydrator, or a low oven temperature. Experiment with them to see what works, for example, sun dried cranberries, dehydrated strawberry slices, and fridge-dried blueberries.

Warnings

  • Raspberries are best on the day of picking/purchase. They should not be kept longer than 2 days.

Things You'll Need

  • Storage container (with or without lid according to type of berry)

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ John Newton, Food: The Essential A-Z Guide, p. 46, (2001), ISBN 1-74045-031-0
  2. ↑ http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-mulberries-farmers-market,0,3640608.story
  3. ↑ http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/food_glossary/cranberries.html
  4. ↑ http://stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/16996
  5. ↑ http://www.gojiberryaustralia.com.au/HOW%20TO%20STORE%20GOJI%20BERRIES.html
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.gardeningchannel.com/list-of-types-of-berries/
  7. ↑ http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/buy-store-grapes-00000000002282/index.html
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 John Newton, Food: The Essential A-Z Guide, p. 170, (2001), ISBN 1-74045-031-0
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=16189
  10. ↑ John Newton, Food: The Essential A-Z Guide, p. 229, (2001), ISBN 1-74045-031-0
  11. ↑ http://www.grocerycouponguide.com/how-to-buy-and-store-fresh-currants/
  12. ↑ John Newton, Food: The Essential A-Z Guide, p. 43, (2001), ISBN 1-74045-031-0

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Store_Berries&oldid=307099"