Keep strawberries mould-free for weeks with little-known washing hack

11 February 2024 , 13:30

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Use this hack to extend the life of your berries (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries - all delicious and versatile fruits that are popular in most homes, but they do have a habit of going mouldy in a short period of time.

Berries are some of the healthiest foods on the market. They're low in calories and high in fibre, vitamin C, and antioxidants. And many have been associated with being beneficial for heart health, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.

Their shelf-life, however, can be a problem, with berries frequently turning bad before they're eaten. One solution is to freeze them - but that's not always practical if you need fresh fruit.

Thankfully, help is at hand. According to a popular new TikTok hack , washing berries in white vinegar before storing them can help to wash off any mould or spores that could potentially spread to the rest of your fruit basket.

Here's what to do. Place a strainer containing your berries inside a large bowl. Then rinse the fruit using eight cups of water, one cup of white vinegar and a tablespoon of baking soda. Once they are washed, simply remove the strainer and dry off your berries before storing. Simple!

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TikToker Danielle Brown said: "The vinegar will remove bacteria and prevent mould, making your berries last for weeks. You won’t believe how much dirt and sometimes bugs come off your berries."

It should be noted that this method does not work to 'cure' any berries that have already gone mouldy. But it could extend the shelf lives of berries by at least another week, helping to cut down on cost and food waste.

It comes after experts at Turning Table revealed the best way to store onions to stop them going soft and rotting - and it's unusual. They actually advise storing them in a pair of tights.

This is because the fabric allows the onion to breathe properly, unlike the plastic bags that we often are provided with at shops to collect loose veggies and fruit, which can stop air from circulating properly around your onions, and mean they go soft or even mouldy quite quickly.

"It turns out that pantyhose isn't just good for keeping your legs covered - they also make excellent onion wrappers. Why? Onions need to breathe to last a long time. They absorb moisture more readily than other items," the expert explains.

This storage method is backed up by the National Onion Association who explain on its website that onions should be kept dry and in a cool place in your kitchen, and only placed in a plastic bag where air can't get to them if you have chopped them ahead of time for meal prep - in this case, they should also be popped in the fridge.

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Gemma Strong