How To Keep Your Berries Mold Free
Does your family love berries as much as mine does? Seriously - my kids (ages 2 and 5) will each eat a package of (organic!) blueberries or raspberries or blackberries in one sitting and ask for more. They will have berries for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks too.
It is great for their health, so no complaints. However, at an average cost of 4.99 a package (for blueberries, raspberries or blackberries), I do get really annoyed if after 2 days they grow mold and I have to throw them out. GRRRRRRRRR
It has probably happened to you - it happens to us on occasion so I have resorted to buy less quantities and return 3 times in a week to the store to refill.
Today, however, I ran across an article in Time magazine (authored by @Food52) that promises a solution to moldy berries.... a non-toxic solution!
Wash your berries when you get home from the store. Place them in a large bowl with one cup white vinegar: 3 cups water. According to Time, if you wash your berries in a vinegar solution you can "extend their shelf life by days (sometimes even weeks)" because the vinegar eliminates the mold and bacteria (which is why we ALWAYS recommend cleaning the house with vinegar and water).
Drain the vinegar solution well and rinse the berries under cool water so that your berries won't stay with a vinegary taste.
The next really important step is to dry your berries well. If they remain humid, mold will return quickly so make sure they are well dried. One recommendation is to place them in a salad spinner lined with a couple of layers of paper towel (to protect the berries from squishing) and spin the berries until dry.
Finally, place them in a -preferably glass- container (not in the tight plastic boxes they come in) and leave them uncovered or partially uncovered so as not to trap any sneaky moisture.
This is a great non-toxic and inexpensive way to clean fruit and veggies and make them last longer and, more importantly, enjoy every last one of them!