Strawberry Season Is Coming! Here's the Right Way to Clean Them

Strawberries are one of the summer season’s greatest gifts! They’re bursting with juicy sweetness and they’re perfect for using in your favorite strawberry recipes. But before you dig into a pint of fresh berries for that delectable dessert, you’ll need to know how to clean the strawberries first.

For one thing, unwashed strawberries may contain dirt from processing and packing. There may also be pesticide residue or even tiny bugs. Ew! That’s why washing strawberries properly is so important. But what’s the right way to clean strawberries and get rid of all that yucky stuff? Ahead, you’ll find all the tips you need for how to clean strawberries—including when to rinse them in water versus salt or vinegar.

Once your strawberries are clean, you can go on with making everything from breakfast to sweet cocktails all summer long! Read on for additional tips on how to store your berries to make them last longer, which is the first step for freezing strawberries for future use, too!

how to clean strawberries

What is the best way to clean strawberries?

The golden rule of cleaning strawberries is to only clean the amount you are going to eat at that particular time. When you buy the berries, you should store them dry and unwashed in the fridge. Then, when you’re ready to eat some pull them out and give them a wash. Here’s how to do it: put the amount of strawberries you want to wash in a colander (try to keep them in a single layer, wash in batches if you need to) and run them under cold water for about 20 seconds, moving them around to make sure you get all sides rinsed off. Then, they’re ready to eat!

Do you wash strawberries with salt or vinegar?

You can wash strawberries with both, though neither are necessary—water works just fine! If you want to wash with salt though, you can dissolve one teaspoon in a couple of cups of warm water. Add some ice cubes to cool it down, then soak the strawberries in it for up to five minutes. Drain and thoroughly rinse the berries to avoid them taking on too much of a salty taste.

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If you want to wash the strawberries with vinegar (this is a good choice if you’re using non-organic strawberries because it will wash off pesticides more thoroughly) heres what to do: combine 2 cups water with 1/2 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar and submerge the strawberries for about 10 minutes (increase the vinegar and water for larger quantities of berries).

Drain the berries and thoroughly rinse them to keep them from tasting pickled or acidic.

How do you get rid of bugs on strawberries?

Soaking strawberries in salt water will help dislodge any hidden dirt or bugs. (Gross, we know.) That said, it’s normal for there to be some earthy residue on the berries, but if you’re particularly concerned about bugs, give them a soak in salt water.

How do you store strawberries after cleaning?

Sadly, as soon as you wash your berries, they will start to break down, which is why it is recommended to only wash the berries you are going to use. But, life happens! So if you washed your berries already and need to store them, there are ways to slow down their deterioration. First, keep them whole and make sure they are very dry with a paper towel. Then line an air-tight food storage container with more dry paper towels and place the strawberries on top in one layer, if possible. Close the lid and pop them in the refrigerator for storage.