topic Re: Strawberries in Among Friends

Strawberries

January121 — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 02:21:03 GMT

Is it true if you soak strawberries in peroxide or some type of solution that all little bugs cone out fron the holes on the Strawberries?.

Re: Strawberries

SandySparkles — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 02:34:11 GMT

@January121 I read this and went in search! What I found was SHOCKING on YouTube!!!😮 If you search for The Gross Reasons You Should Soak Your Strawberries In Saltwater, it is jaw-dropping if true!🥰 There are several similar videos!!! I eat strawberries regularly, but now.... 😄 I have been eating them this long and survived so.... I am certain all fruit like that does to a degree just by the nature of them.😊

~~~All we need is LOVE💖

Re: Strawberries

Spacrazy — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 02:53:51 GMT

@January121 wrote:
Is it true if you soak strawberries in peroxide or some type of solution that all little bugs cone out fron the holes on the Strawberries?.

Oh my goodness ~ this is new to me. I love and eat SB's very often and I've never known that. I would love to know if this is true if anyone can confirm or deny.

Re: Strawberries

Sooner — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 03:02:31 GMT

It is shocking, but a lot of what we find in the the supermarket grew OUTSIDE in the DIRT. It's true, and bugs and ANIMALS have access to it. And PEOPLE.

Re: Strawberries

DottieBlue — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 03:30:18 GMT

So would this apply to only organic fruit? I thought that is why insecticides are used....

Re: Strawberries

qbetzforreal — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 04:11:10 GMT

@DottieBlue wrote:
So would this apply to only organic fruit? I thought that is why insecticides are used....

@DottieBlue-No, not just organic.

Re: Strawberries

Kachina624 — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 04:14:54 GMT

@January121. I've never seen a bug in a strawberry.

Re: Strawberries

Zoe — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 04:15:08 GMT

Snopes says:

What's True

The agricultural industry tests for an invasive insect known as spotted wing drosophila using a solution of water and salt or sugar to force bugs out of potentially infested fruit.

What's False

Experts note that while this method is used by agriculturalists to test for the flying pests, there is no conclusive or published scientific evidence that proves its legitimacy.

Re: Strawberries

LuvSoCal — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 04:15:24 GMT

I've read that they are the dirtiest of all fruits but that is just too gross. I always wash them really well but would never soak them in peroxide. I just wouldn't eat them

Re: Strawberries

elated — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 05:29:14 GMT

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

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.

Re: Strawberries

Tinkrbl44 — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 05:57:52 GMT

Good grief .... my father always had strawberry plants in his gardens.

I'd help pick them and often ate several right off the plant. If all those dangerous bugs were in them, it's a miracle I didn't die! (just a little sarcasm, for the heck of it).

Re: Strawberries

Desertdi — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 06:14:37 GMT

Maybe the Q should invent a "fruit washing machine"..........

Re: Strawberries

wifey2qt — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 10:18:07 GMT

Not going do this or even look at any article........I will continue to go strawberry picking and eat tons directly from the plant as I go! ..the internet just breeds paranoia!

Re: Strawberries

Krimpette — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 13:30:40 GMT

My parents always had a strawberry patch when I was growing up. When they would send us kids out to pick the strawberries, I always ate them as I went along. Oh, some did get in the basket!!!! I'm quite old now, and have survived all those years of never giving special cleaning to most fruits.

Re: Strawberries

Still Raining — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 13:54:27 GMT

I was a victim of child labor, along with my cousins, and their grandma used to yell us in Norwegian!

If unwashed strawberries can kill none of us would have survived.

Re: Strawberries

cheriere — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 14:43:56 GMT

@January121 wrote:
Is it true if you soak strawberries in peroxide or some type of solution that all little bugs cone out fron the holes on the Strawberries?.

Ive never heard of this either.🍓

We always soak them in a dishpan of water before making a pie or something, but like @Tinkrbl44 & others said, I often eat them off the vine.

People have gotten too phobic about natural things.

Re: Strawberries

LdyBugz — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 15:23:08 GMT

I've never seen bugs in strawberries. I always rinse them well in plain water as soon as I get them home. Then I slice them up, and store in a LocknLock in the fridge. Otherwise those berries start growing the fuzzies right away.

I can definitely attest to seeing this little guy crawling on a blackberry I almost ate! I wonder how many times I unknowingly ate one of these critters. 🤮 Took me a long time before I could eat blackberries again.

Re: Strawberries

cheriere — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 15:34:59 GMT

@LdyBugz

Lol, yes we grow a lot of blackberries every year so I know how insects love them. I'm still guilty of eat some just picked though.😃

Re: Strawberries

LdyBugz — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 15:51:14 GMT

@cheriere Well those critters need to find something else to eat and stay away from the fruit! Wish they would eat the things I detest, like brussel spouts, peas, okra, and beets.

Re: Strawberries

VanSleepy — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 15:56:31 GMT

I've seen plenty of YouTube videos of people soaking strawberries and supposed bugs come crawling out. I chalked it up to "don't believe everything you see on the internet".