Why do strawberries go bad so quickly?

Question

Everytime strawberry season comes around, I love to buy and eat a lot. Sometimes, when the price is right, I buy too much and invariably, the strawberries begin to mold and rot within a short period of time. Why does this occur and what is the best way to store strawberries in the refridgerator so they will last the longest?

Answer 1

High sugar content makes them especially attractive to molds. A good way to store them is to, first rinse them off then pat them dry. Moisture also promotes mold. Wrap them loosely in a paper towel then put them in a paper bag. Air does need to circulate, but not to much. Keep them in the refrigeretor, as far away from the freezer as you can.

Answer 2

Strawberries do tend to go bad quickly. They are quite perishable that way. Leave them in an open container in the fridge but don't wash them and leave the green stems on. The moisture would make them rot faster. You can always freeze them (don't wash them, leave stems on, just spread on a cookie sheet in a single layer and put in freezer. Bag in freezer bag when frozen and return to freezer) for use later on as sundae toppings, etc. Or make strawberry jam. There are packets of Certo that have good freezer jam recipes on them. Or try allrecipes.com for some recipes and hints.

Answer 3

I think if you buy a lot of them you would be better off freezing them. And the reason they go bad is because strawberries scream when you eat them...they don't want to die!

Answer 4

oxidation. You should only buy what you can eat within two or three days. They are such a fragile fruit.

Answer 5

They keep getting more ripe until they are putrid.

Same with a lot of fruit, or did you forget about bananas?

Answer 6

I have found that they last a little longer when you put them in a bowl of sugar water...