How to keep strawberries in the fridge?
Few people love the taste of fresh strawberries. It is a pity that the berry is not stored for a long time, so people are in constant search for recipes, keep it fresh as long as possible.In fact, with the advent of refrigerators, the options for keeping strawberries fresh have become much more. We will talk about many of them in the article.
Low temperature storage
To keep fresh ripe strawberries in the form in which they were collected from the bed, do not rinse it until you are ready to eat. Wet berry quickly deteriorates. Do not store one that is soft, dull, or wrinkled. If the juice is leaking, there are white or green spots on the surface, damage, rather throw it away.
The ideal temperature range for cold storage is between 32 and 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Most refrigerators are set at 4 ° F or below. It is necessary to pack the berries in a closed container or a partially open plastic bag.
Time no more than seven days, then the mold begins to appear. You will need to check the daily container for the presence of damaged fruit.
If you intend to chop the fruit and place it in the fridge, then rinse it and remove the green stems with a clean knife. In open form, such a product will last no more than two hours, then microorganisms will begin to develop in it. An airtight container or sealed plastic bag extends up to 3 days.
You can store strawberries longer, freezing it. Airtight storage containers or a plastic bag, where it can lie for up to 8 months, are best suited for this. It is permissible to use sugar as a preservative, about 1/4 cup for every ½ cup of berries. Sweetened, cut strawberries remain fresh in the freezer for up to four months before their quality begins to decline.
Freezing options
Frozen berries are great for cocktails or for use in recipes where a soft texture is permissible. It is worth remembering that the process of freezing and thawing destroys the cells, so it is this berry that is soft and juicy.
The best way to freeze strawberries is to start by gently rinsing the berries under running water in a colander. Do not recommend washing them in a basin, because the fruits are small sponges that quickly absorb additional moisture, resulting in tasteless strawberries.
After the washed berries are placed on the fabric, an old T-shirt will fit perfectly, which must be folded in several layers. Only after the fruits are dry, they can be put in a plastic container and put into the freezer.
Vacuum sealing
When sealing you need to make sure that there is no moisture inside, however, as well as on the berries. This is the only way to achieve the required level of compaction. Do not use vacuum sealing of the berries, because as the air is drawn out of the bag, the berries contract and release juice. The result is a crushed strawberry that is not very attractive.
If you properly vacuum the bag with fruit, you can get perfectly preserved fruit, then it is possible to install them on the cake, make a cocktail, smoothie and much more. It is worth noting that it is vacuuming that prevents the formation of ice crystals, but it can be done differently - put berries in sugar and freeze them in this form.
Strawberry puree
If there is no need to store strawberries whole, then you can mash it with sugar. Not using a blender, namely: mash your hands, getting small pieces of berries. Mashed potatoes are divided into containers and put in the freezer, where it takes the form of a container.
Some hostesses prepack small plastic jars, and when the composition hardens, they pull it out and put such ice pieces in a bag. Fresh berry is defrosted quickly, after it is a great addition to tea, ice cream, cake or bun.
With the addition of vinegar
You can keep strawberries fresh by following this recipe:
- first put the berries in a large bowl;
- fill the bowl with cool tap water to cover all the berries;
- add 1-2 cups of distilled white vinegar;
- hold the strawberries in the solution for 5-10 minutes;
- pour the berries into a colander, rinsing them is not necessary;
- put strawberries on dry paper towels and make sure that they do not touch each other;
- let the fruit dry completely;
- put them in a clean container in the fridge.
Tips
It is impossible to say exactly how much strawberries are stored in the refrigerator. To a large extent, it all depends on the storage conditions and how ripe the berries were bought or harvested. At room temperature, it can be left only if the berries are eaten during the same day.
Before you put in the fridge, you must check each fruit and remove the bad ones, otherwise everyone else will quickly become infected. In frozen form, it can be consumed during the year, this is the period when the berry does not deteriorate and retains its beneficial properties.
Fruits that deteriorate usually become soft, their color deteriorates, and a sour smell appears.
Over time, cooks and housewives simply made a few comments as to what not to do if you want to keep the berries fresh longer:
- do not remove the stems, because due to their absence, the fruits begin to break down faster;
- do not wash or soak strawberries;
- remove all damaged berries, because even one will ruin the entire container very quickly;
- do not cut the fruit, but keep them whole.
If you strictly follow the technology of freezing and do not wash the berries, you can quite successfully keep as many strawberries in the freezer as you want. Then in the winter from it wonderful compotes turn out. From the hostess is required not to be lazy and do not break the rules. Even a beginning hostess can master any of the presented methods. There is nothing difficult in the process of preparing the berries, the main thing is not to place damaged fruit in the container.
How to freeze and keep strawberries fresh, see the next video.
