Few inner conflicts run as deep as that between my frugal side and my berry-loving side. Yes, I love fresh berries; no, I don’t like spending £3.50 for a tiny punnet that’ll likely go off way sooner than I can eat it.
We’ve written before about how you can keep strawberries and bananas fresher for longer. After having opened the fridge to a mushy, mouldy tray of red mess today, I thought I’d look into how to keep raspberries as good as new, too.
Here’s what the experts advise:
Delay rinsing the berries until you’re ready to eat them
Though it’s always a good idea to wash berries before you eat them, dousing raspberries in water before chucking them in the fridge might make them wilt prematurely.
Instead, leave them dry and in a vented container – air circulation is important, and added moisture can encourage mould growth. You should wash your berries, but only just before you eat them.
Store your raspberries at the front of the fridge
There are a couple of reasons to do this. One is that the closer your raspberries are to the front of your fridge, the more likely you are to remember to eat them; secondly, the back of your fridge and your fridge drawers can both harbour mould-inducing moisture.
These parts of your fridge also tend to be the coldest, meaning you risk frost-burning your raspberries by placing them in these areas.
Line your raspberry tray with paper towels
The best container for your raspberries is probably the one they came in – as they’re usually made from a type of thin plastic that resists condensation and is dotted with air holes.
In order to keep that ruinous water to a minimum, you might want to consider placing a folded paper towel in the centre of the tray – although make sure you leave enough room for ventilation. You can change the sheets if they get damp over time.
Discard any mouldy raspberries the second you see them
You know the phrase “one bad apple spoils the bunch”? Well, the same is true for raspberries.
This is because mould spreads easily from fruit to fruit – so removing any damaged berries should be your first step when storing the fruit.
Here’s to a future filled with blemish-free berries!