My daughter loves fruit, I can't eat it because all i can think of is mold, bugs and nastiness. I'd like to get some for her to have at home but i don't know how to keep them fresh and safe. Do i take all the grapes off the stems and rinse them or keep them in the bag they come in and just pluck off a few and rinse eat time she wants some?? what about strawberries, to they stay fresh longer if they are whole, whole and washed, rinsed and sliced???
apparently this was yet another thing i didn't learn growing up in a barn.
I have found success in washing strawberries, drying them very well, and storing in an airtight container with a single paper towel in the refridgerator. For me, this methods prolongs their life about 6-8 days.
I don't wash the fruit until I'm ready to eat it. It will last much longer. Also, those bags being advertised for storing fruits and veggies? They really work! Just make sure you do NOT wash the food first since water speeds up rot.
**If you are going to eat the fruit that day, then yes, you can wash, cut and put in fridge, otherwise it just speeds up the rotting process.
I don't wash fruit until time to eat. I do leave them on the stems. Also if I'm worried the grapes aren't going to last much longer, I will wash them and put them in the freezer. We like them frozen anyway, a different kind of treat. My youngest likes them "slushy" not so hard (just means leave them out for 15 minutes before giving them to him). For berries: strawberries are our favorites and we never have "time" to worry about them turning---we eat them fast! But for blackberries, we wash them and sort them after picking them, then sprinkle sugar on them to preserve them longer, then put them on cereal, oatmeal, serve them with cream, make a cobbler or pie, eat them alone, make blackberry wine cake, preserves, etc.
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Tupperware has a product line called FridgeSmarts. They prolong the life of your produce (fruits and veggies) and will keep them fresh for about twice as long as normal. Check them out ... they really work and are well worth every penny! They are even on sale right now! www.my.tupperware.com/KJThomas
The BEST way to store strawberries was told to us by a vendor at the farmer's market:
Do not wash or cut them until you eat them
Store them in a large tupperware one layer "deep" with a sheet of paper towel in between each layer
This works really well for raspberries too.
If you're really freaked out by what might be on the fruit, there is fruit and veggie wash you can get. You just put a little bit on and wash and rinse. It removes pesticide residue and any mold.
http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1RNPN_enMX401&q=fr...
We buy grapes and strawberries weekly. We wash them in soap and water, separately, and then store them in uncovered bowls in the fridge. We leave the grapes on the stems, but cut the tops off the strawberries before we put them in the fridge. There is no reason for cutting the tops off the strawberries other than convenience when ready the eat! Both stay fresh for 5-7 days. I'd buy organic fruit if that is an option. Hope this helps!
There are these containers at Bed Bath & Beyond called Lettuce Savers and you can store fruits and veggies in them for a week or 2 and stays fresh.
I think strawberries are supposed to stay whole until you are ready to eat them. I think they stay fresher outside the frigde. Strawberries stay good for me about 3 days and then they start getting mushy. I'm not sure about grapes but I keep them in the fridge.
