AUGUST 6, 2012 - STORING SUMMER BERRIES
Storing Summer Berries: 5 Tips We Learned the Hard Way
1. Timing is everything: Only rinse berries right
before you use them. Water increases the likelihood they'll start to mold.
2. Don't soak: Place them in a
colander and rinse water over them instead of fully submerging them.
3. Give them a quick chill: You
know how sun-ripened, warm berries have that delightful soft messiness to them?
Well, that is what makes them taste just like summer, but it's also what makes
them incredibly delicate and difficult to wash. So a good tip is to refrigerate
them for an hour or so when you bring them home from the market. They're easier
to rinse when they've had a chance to firm up just a bit.
4. Storage is the key: After washing berries,
let them rest in a colander in the refrigerator and another vessel that has
some air circulation. This will help them dry out more considerably than if
just placed in a bowl. Place a paper towel in the colander first, then slide out later.
5. Avoid the crisper: Many people believe
that berries will go bad more quickly if kept in the crisper because the air
has a higher humidity and doesn't circulate as much as throughout the rest of
the refrigerator. In a very unscientific sampling, I find this to be true and
follow this myself. In fact, I think my husband may have tossed the berries I just bought into the crisper. They're probably rotten. :(
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