If you're craving a sweet yet healthy treat, ripe strawberries are an excellent choice.
However, it's no secret that these beloved berries don't stay fresh for long. Typically, there's only a few days between purchasing the fruit and discovering they've turned slimy or mouldy in your fridge.
But, according to experts, there's a lesser-known trick that can keep them fresh 'for weeks', allowing you more time to savour them on your porridge, in smoothies or however else you fancy.
The specialists at Wheeldon Brothers have pointed out that due to their high moisture content, strawberries need to be stored in a specific way to prevent them from going mouldy, reports the Express.
By absorbing this excess moisture, you can stop the fruit from spoiling - and it's incredibly simple to do.
One handy technique is to store unwashed strawberries in a glass jar lined with good quality kitchen roll. This absorbs the moisture, which is a main culprit of mould and spoilage.
By regularly checking and replacing the kitchen roll as necessary, strawberries can remain fresh and mould-free for up to two weeks, significantly longer than their usual fridge lifespan of a few days.
The experts advised: "If you plan on eating your berries soon after buying them, it's important to rinse off any dirt.
"However, before doing so, make sure to go through and pull out any mouldy ones because moisture is the enemy. If a mouldy berry touches others, the rest will get mouldy too.
"Once you've picked out the bad ones, you can either pop a paper towel into the original container or a glass container and put it in the fridge.
"When it's time to eat them, add the berries to a bowl with a teaspoon of salt and cover with water. Let it sit for five minutes, then rinse and pat them dry. This process won't affect the taste of the berries."
If you're looking to extend the shelf life of your berries for that special occasion or simply have a lot to get through, there's a trick to keep them fresher for an extended period.
Simply place your berries in a bowl and mix one cup of vinegar with three cups of water. Immerse the berries in this solution for about 10 minutes - the vinegar is excellent for eliminating bacteria.
After the soak, thoroughly rinse the berries and lay them out on a towel to dry. It's essential to pat them completely dry as moisture is detrimental.
Once they're dry, line the bottom of your storage container with a paper towel, arrange the berries on top, and then place another paper towel over them. Refrigerate the container, and this technique can maintain the freshness of your berries for up to two weeks.
These preservation tips are suitable for all types of berries, but they're not effective if the berries are already overripe or mushy at the time of purchase.
