One of the most popular fruits is strawberries. This is thanks to their romantic reputation, bright color, and compact size, which is perfect for snacking.
Have you bought too many strawberries, and now you’re worried they may have gone past their best-by date? You’re probably asking yourself:
Do strawberries go bad? How long do they last?
Here’s what you need to know. Like all fruits, strawberries can go bad. When stored in the fridge, strawberries can last up to 5-7 days.
How To Tell If Your Strawberries Are Bad
Use your senses to determine the freshness of your strawberries. If you see any white or gray mold on the surface of your fruit, discard it quickly.
When it comes to the texture of your strawberries, look out for soft, mushy, or bruised flesh. This kind of texture also indicates that your strawberries will most probably not taste any good. So you might want to get rid of it due to its loss of quality.
Your strawberries may start to lose their color after a while; you’ll want to toss these out because the quality is no longer at its best. Remember: strawberries with green patches are a sign that they were picked early and are completely okay to consume.
Another sign to tell if your strawberries have spoiled is if they have an off smell. You’ll want to get rid of these as well.
How To Store Strawberries
When you’re storing your strawberries, there are a few things you should do.
Don’t be tempted to wash your strawberries before you store them, as this could increase the time it takes to spoil. Instead, wash them just before you plan to use them.
Keep an eye out for moldy strawberries. This mold can spread quickly to fresh strawberries. Take your time and remove the spoiled strawberries from your package.
You can keep your strawberries on the countertop at room temperature if you plan on eating them immediately. However, to keep them fresh for longer than a day, you can either put them in the fridge or freezer.
The fridge is perfect if you’ll probably consume them quickly. Storing your strawberries in the freezer is much more of a long-term option.
Another tip: keep your strawberries lined with paper towels to capture excess moisture.
How To Freeze Strawberries
The process when freezing your strawberries is pretty simple.
You want to start with prepping your strawberries. Get rid of the stems, wash them, and then dry them carefully. You can use paper towels to remove excess water from your strawberries.
If you want, you can halve or slice your strawberries, but whole strawberries work well too.
Now transfer your strawberries to a baking sheet. Lay them in a single layer without touching each other. Place the baking sheet into the freezer until it freezes.
Finally, place your frozen strawberries in a container or freezer bag. This extra layer is great for protecting your strawberries from low temperatures.
How Long Do Strawberries Last?
Unfortunately, strawberries don’t have a long shelf life. They last about a day kept at room temperature. However, there is a way to keep your strawberries fresher for longer. Store them in the fridge for up to a week. If you want to keep them for a longer time than this, you should freeze your strawberries.
The Bottom-Line
Strawberries are packed with vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. However, have you ever wondered about a strawberry’s bumpy surface? Those small bumps are actually seeds, which an average strawberry has 200 of in total.
To summarize, similar to other fruits, store your strawberries in the refrigerator to maintain their freshness. They can last for one week.
