How to Wash Strawberries With Water
If you are buying organic (and pesticide-free) berries from a farmer's market or another local source, you can rinse them in cool water before laying them out on a dish towel or paper towel to dry. Then, you're ready to slice, bake, or pop into your mouth.
If your fresh local strawberries seem dirty, you can also use the vinegar method below to remove excess grime. However, don't use a produce brush because that could damage the fragile exterior or crush the berry entirely.
- Step 1: Place fresh strawberries in a colander and rinse with cold running water for several seconds. Use clean hands to rotate the berries inside the bowl, so each strawberry gets rinsed.
- Step 2: Turn off the water, then shake the colander to remove any excess liquid. Place the strawberries on a clean cloth and pat dry. They are now ready to be eaten.
How to Clean Strawberries With Vinegar
If you're buying strawberries from the grocery store, and especially if they've been grown conventionally using pesticides, you will want to take a few more steps before consumption. Strawberries are one of the most highly sprayed conventional crops out there. Using a mix of vinegar and water can help gently clean strawberries that may have been exposed to pesticides and other chemicals.
Additionally, the journey from big farm to grocery store shelf is a long one, and your berries have been handled by many different people and exposed to different conditions. Needless to say, it's worth a few extra moments to make sure your fruit is clean as can be.
- Step 1: Fill a large bowl with four parts water to one part white vinegar.
- Step 2: Place the berries in a colander that fits inside the larger bowl. Drop the colander slowly into the bowl, and make sure the berries are completely submerged with the vinegar wash.
- Step 3: Soak for approximately 20 minutes (any longer can create a soggy berry and any shorter isn't as effective).
- Step 4: Lift the colander and rinse the fruit thoroughly under cool water. Pat the fruit dry with a clean cloth or paper towels. Don't worry, there won't be a hint of vinegar left behind if you rinse well—just the sweet and perfectly tangy taste of summertime.
How to Clean Strawberries With Salt
Salt water is an effective way to remove bugs from strawberries (gross, we know). Just grab a bowl and whatever salt you have in your pantry and follow these steps:
- Step 1: Add about a tablespoon of salt to a bowl of warm water and let it dissolve.
- Step 2: Place the strawberries in the salt water and let soak for about five minutes.
- Step 3: Rinse the berries clean and they're ready to eat.
How to Clean Strawberries With
Vinegar
If you're buying strawberries from the grocery store, and especially if they've been grown conventionally using pesticides, you will want to take a few more steps before consumption. Strawberries are one of the most highly sprayed conventional crops out there. Using a mix of vinegar and water can help gently clean strawberries that may have been exposed to pesticides and other chemicals.
Additionally, the journey from big farm to grocery store shelf is a long one, and your berries have been handled by many different people and exposed to different conditions. Needless to say, it's worth a few extra moments to make sure your fruit is clean as can be.
- Step 1: Fill a large bowl with four parts water to one part white vinegar.
- Step 2: Place the berries in a colander that fits inside the larger bowl. Drop the colander slowly into the bowl, and make sure the berries are completely submerged with the vinegar wash.
- Step 3: Soak for approximately 20 minutes (any longer can create a soggy berry and any shorter isn't as effective).
- Step 4: Lift the colander and rinse the fruit thoroughly under cool water. Pat the fruit dry with a clean cloth or paper towels. Don't worry, there won't be a hint of vinegar left behind if you rinse well—just the sweet and perfectly tangy taste of summertime.
How to Clean Strawberries With Salt
Salt water is an effective way to remove bugs from strawberries (gross, we know). Just grab a bowl and whatever salt you have in your pantry and follow these steps:
- Step 1: Add about a tablespoon of salt to a bowl of warm water and let it dissolve.
- Step 2: Place the strawberries in the salt water and let soak for about five minutes.
- Step 3: Rinse the berries clean and they're ready to eat.
How to Clean Strawberries With Baking Soda
If you have baking soda on-hand in your pantry, this is an effective ingredient to clean your fruit. Simply mix with water to remove pesticides, dirt, and insects.
- Step 1: Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with four cups of water and stir until dissolved.
- Step 2: Add the strawberries to the mixture and toss them with clean hands.
- Step 3: Let the strawberries soak in the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Step 4: Rinse the berries clean and then they're ready to eat.
Why Is It Important to Clean Strawberries?
Strawberries can easily absorb pesticides and are ranked number one on EWG's Dirty Dozen, a list of produce with the highest pesticide contamination. Cleaning strawberries properly can keep you and your family from getting sick by ingesting these toxic chemicals. Consider purchasing organic strawberries at the store or your local farmer's market to avoid pesticide contamination.
How to Store Strawberries After Washing
There are several different ways to store strawberries including:
- Put them in an airtight glass container like a food storage container or mason jar.
- Place unwashed strawberries on top of a paper towel in a food storage container and place in the refrigerator.
- Rinse the strawberries with vinegar, pat them dry, and place on a clean paper towel in a glass container.
- Freeze the strawberries in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to wash strawberries?
The best way to wash strawberries is to rinse them with water and then soak them in a vinegar for about 20 minutes or soak them in a water and baking soda mixture for about 15 minutes.
How do you get rid of bugs on strawberries?
Wash your strawberries in salt water to remove bugs and dirt. Let them soak for a few minutes to ensure all insects are dislodged before rinsing the berries clean.
Do strawberries last longer unwashed?
Yes, strawberries last longer unwashed, that's why it's so important to wait to wash them until you're ready to eat or cook with them. Rinsing strawberries and then storing them back in the refrigerator can promote mold growth.
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