Summer is a wonderful time with so much fresh fruit around. A live-in carer who has a client with family who enjoys gardening may find themselves overwhelmed with fresh fruit. As every carer knows, there is only so much fruit you can eat and only so long for it to be stored before going bad.
Strawberries are often available in large packs which, while it is good value for money, can also pose a problem of how to keep them fresh.
Because of the high moisture content of strawberries, they are more susceptible to mould and then decay. Additionally, because they are delicate fruit, they bruise easily and are more likely to be damaged and spoil faster.
Any container you choose to store the strawberries in needs to have ventilation holes. If not, you should leave the lid off so that moisture can escape, and fresh air can circulate.
Using an airtight container is the worst thing you can do for strawberries as no air will circulate.
It is also important that you remove them from the container they came in. Supermarket containers are not normally suitable for long storage of fruit and veggies.
Because strawberries are sensitive to temperature changes, they should be stored in the fridge at about 0 degrees C to 2 degrees C.
While this may seem a low temperature it will slow down bacteria growth which causes spoilage.
While most people may wash strawberries as soon as they are unpacked, this may not be the best idea as it simply introduces extra moisture to them.
Excess moisture means a faster rate of growth for mould so avoid washing them until right before you plan to use them.
If you are in any doubt about the temperature in the fridge then you may want to buy a fridge thermometer, so you know exactly what the temperature is when storing not only strawberries, but any other fruit and veggies.
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