Berries aren’t a bargain if they go moldy…

Anyone want to dethrone me from the title Queen of Buying Lots of Fresh Produce And Letting It Rot In The Frig?

Really, I shouldn’t be dethroned – I should try to just step down. I’ve let way too much good food rot in the frig lately, mostly due to being pregnant and just not feeling like cooking anything.

Berries and cherries are the worst, aren’t they? They look fabulous in the store but turn moldy with in a day or two of purchase.  But, if you know it’s going to be a few days before you use those delicate fruits, there’s a little trick you can do that holds the mold off much longer:

Place the berries in a colander and place a large bowl underneath.  Fill the colander and bowl with cool water as if you were rinsing the berries – but also add about 1/4 cup of vinegar to the water.  Let them sit for a few minutes in the vinegar/water mixture, then drain and rinse thoroughly.

The vinegar kills whatever the mold-causing bacteria is, keeping those berries fresh usually at least a few days longer.  Plus, they’re already washed and ready to eat when you are finally ready to use them!  There’s no vinegar aftertaste when you rinse them thoroughly after draining the vinegar/water mixture.

Works for me!