I just have to share this knowlege with you.

[LouisXIV]

I just got the following e-mail:

Berries, particularly super-fresh berries, are just wonderful, aren't they?

But they're also kind of delicate. Raspberries in particular seem like they can mold before you even get them home from the market. There's nothing more tragic than paying $4 for a pint of local raspberries, only to look in the fridge the next few days and find that fuzzy mold growing on their insides.

Well, when fresh berries just starting to hit farmers markets, this is how to keep them fresh.
Now I'm here to share a tip on how to prevent them from getting there in the first place:
Wash them with vinegar.
A friend of mine shared this tip with me a few weeks ago, and it really, really works. When you get your berries home, prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider) probably work best) and ten parts water. Dump the berries into the mixture and swirl around. Drain, rinse if you want (though the mixture is so diluted I find you can't taste the vinegar,) and pop in the fridge.
The vinegar kills any mold spores and other bacteria that might be on the surface of the fruit, and voila! Raspberries will last a week or more, and I've had strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft. So go forth and stock up on those pricey little gems, knowing they'll stay fresh as long as it takes you to eat them.

[bixaorellana]

That's brilliant, simple, & makes perfect sense, Louis -- thanks for such useful advice!

I just can't believe that I never thought of that for myself, since I routinely use vinegar for cleaning all kinds of things. Also, a vinegar dilution can get rid of all kinds of baddies on plants in the garden, so it stands to reason it would knock out mold on produce.

Isn't there some kind of cheese keeper wherein the cheese sets on a platform surrounded by a shallow moat of vinegar? It's supposed to ward off mold on the cheese.

[mickthecactus]

I add vinegar to tap water when watering plants.

[bixaorellana]

Really, Mick -- each & every time?

The water here is full of minerals. During the dry season, when there's no rain, only tap water, all the leaves in the garden are mineral-spotted. What proportion do you use, please?

[Don Cuevas]

I had some juice oranges that had sat around too long, unrefrigerated in a plastic bag. After chucking the unsaveable ones, I filled a big bowl with cold tap water and put in a cup or so of white vinegar. Then after swishing them about, I let them soak for an hour. When I returned, a quick rinse with cold water removed any vestiges of mold.

They made perfectly fine juice when squeezed.

I also use vinegar water to clean and sanitize my maple pastry table.

[LouisXIV]

Many years ago I went to the International Dairy Queen school for two weeks. A fantastic two week educational experience and if you ever get a chance to to McDonalds Hamberger U, I sure it is even better.

Any way, they told us to save the juice from the hamberger pickles, put it in a a spray bottle and clean your stainless steel. Does a great job and it's free.

[lagatta]

I highly doubt such a weak solution of vinegar, drained, would have any impact on the flavour of berries. Great tip. I also use vinegar for many household cleaning purposes. The bomb is vinegar + bicarbonate (sometimes called baking soda). Some in your drains every month or so (ideally followed by a little chaser of boiling water) keeps them unclogged and fresh.

I still wouldn't stock up on berries. In season, I get them from Marché Jean-Talon, a few minutes away. I rarely eat them out of season. We get a late summer/early autumn variety of strawberries now, so I get a good whack of them. I hate the big tasteless ones that are white inside, picked far too young thousands of km/miles away. I find many other fruits travel far better.

[cristina]

Just thought I would drop by and say hello/hola/bonjour,

I've never heard about rinsing berries with a vinegar dilution but AZ doesn't have a big berry production.

However I am a major vinegar user for cleaning, especially along with baking soda. Let me know if anyone wants to know how I rescued a stainless steel pan that I set on fire (an unfortunate accident). Anyway, I usually have a few gallons of vinegar stashed around the house.

I am moving to southern California in a few weeks. I hope to come back after I am bit settled.

[bixaorellana]

¡Que milagro!

What a great pleasure to see you here, Cristina. I hope that your move is everything you want it to be.

And yes, please -- I'd love to hear your hints.

[mickthecactus]

Jan 12, 2012 17:43:03 GMT bixaorellana said:

Really, Mick -- each & every time?

The water here is full of minerals. During the dry season, when there's no rain, only tap water, all the leaves in the garden are mineral-spotted. What proportion do you use, please?

Yes, every time - 1 capful and a bit to 2 gallons (about a teaspoonful and a bit). It has made a big difference to the cacti - been doing it for 2 years now.

[onlymark]

My cap holds at least a gallon anyway, so it'd be a bit of a strong mix.

[Deleted]

That should work on tomatoes, too, which as we all know can spring some unpleasant surprises sometimes.

[Deleted]

So very lovely to see you Cristina!!!

I'm a big fan of using vinegar for a plethora of chores both household and gardening.

[Kimby]

The plumber who charged us $150 to unplug our Florida dishwasher line suggested running vinegar through it before we go away for a long time to keep stuff from growing in it.