How to Prep Berries So They'll Last!

Whenever I post my fridge on my Instagram stories, one of the most common questions I get is, "how do you prep your berries?" Well, today I'm finally going to share all of my berry prep secrets and explain what I do so that they'll last for 1.5 - 2 weeks!

First off, you need to know that I've tried multiple things when it comes to trying to prolong the life of my berries. Washing, not washing, Rubbermaid FreshWorks containers, mason jars, paper towel, no paper towel etc. I've finally figured out a system that works well and I'm sticking to it!

1. Thoroughly wash the berries

I try to buy organic berries since they're on the dirty dozen list, but if I can't get organic, I just make sure that I wash them really well. I'll use warm water, rinse multiple times and gently rub them as I wash them.  I'll then do a final rinse with cold water. I haven't tried rinsing them with a fruit/vegetable rinse, nor have I tried using vinegar. But if you have, please let me know if your berries still last for 1-2 weeks.

2. Cut berries if necessary

I don't have to do anything to my blackberries, blueberries or raspberries. But I will cut off the leafy green part of my strawberries, and if they're huge, I'll cut them in half or into smaller pieces.

3. Allow berries to fully dry

I'll then spread my berries out on a baking sheet or plate and allow them to fully dry. This is usually when all of the family members will pick at them whenever they pass by the kitchen, but I usually buy a ton of berries, so that we still have enough leftover for the week.

4. Store berries in containers

Once the berries have fully dried, I'll transfer them to storage containers. My favourite ones are Rubbermaid Brilliance containers. I like to place a paper towel at the bottom to absorb any moisture. I have tried storing them in mason jars, which also works well, but I have found that that they last slightly longer in the Brilliance containers.

I love these containers so much that I donated all of my old containers and replaced them with Rubbermaid Brilliance ones. I actually went into great detail about these containers in my latest YouTube video:

 The longest my berries have lasted is 2 weeks, but to be honest, we usually finish them within a week. I find that when they're prepped, we're more likely to eat them quickly because there isn't any work involved. Simply grab the container, put some in a bowl or add them to a packed lunch and you have a quick, easy and healthy snack.