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It only takes a few minutes, and storage is even easier.
Top Picks For Washing And Storing Berries
- Produce-Saving Containers: Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Saver Containers, $19.99 (orig. $24.89)
- Natural Freshness Extenders: Freshglow Freshpaper Produce Saver Sheets, $16.99
- Dry Berries Quickly: Lane Linen Cotton Kitchen Towels, $14.99 (orig. $23.48)
- Spin The Moisture Out: Farberware Pro Small Salad Spiner, $22.25 (orig. $27.99)
- Freeze For Year-Round Freshness: Pyrex FreshLock Glass Food Storage Containers, $35.09 (orig. $38.99)
When it comes to superfoods that taste super delicious, berries are one of the best grocery list staples to keep stocked in the fridge. But if they’re not washed and stored properly, your blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries can spoil before you get the chance to eat them. Thankfully, it’s easy to wash them correctly with a few quick steps.
The best way to clean berries is by rinsing them under cold, running water for about 30 seconds. Since extra moisture makes them spoil faster, it’s recommended to wash them right before eating them. If you plan to store pre-washed berries in the fridge, gently pat them dry before air drying them completely to help prevent early spoilage.
You can also soak your berries for a few minutes in a mixture of one part vinegar and three parts water for a deeper clean. After washing them, proper storage is key to keep them fresh—and the right containers can help. Read on for our favorite food storage containers to keep your berries fresh longer, plus other kitchen hacks to make washing and storing produce even easier.
The Best Storage Solutions For Berries
- Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Saver Containers, $19.99 (orig. $24.89)
- Freshglow Freshpaper Produce Saver Sheets, $16.99
- Paoli 304 Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Colander Set, $17.98
- Lane Linen Cotton Kitchen Towels, $14.99 (orig. $23.48)
- Farberware Pro Small Salad Spiner, $22.25 (orig. $27.99)
- Zorbette Dri-Tabs Moisture Absorbers, $13.39
- OXO Good Grips GreenSaver Produce Keeper, $25.95
- Pyrex FreshLock Glass Food Storage Containers, $35.09 (orig. $38.99)
Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Saver Containers
Rubbermaid’s FreshWorks food storage containers are specifically designed to keep produce fresh longer, and they’re just as effective for storing berries as they are for keeping lettuce and other greens fresh.
The base inside is raised to keep berries elevated above any excess moisture, and the lids have built-in vents to allow for airflow. Plus, the vents have filters that regulate oxygen and carbon dioxide to make produce last even longer. They’re best used with unwashed produce, so resist the urge to clean your berries before storing them, then give them a rinse when it’s time to eat.
Freshglow Freshpaper Produce Saver Sheets
This easy food storage hack is one of our favorite ways to keep berries and other produce fresh. Freshglow’s Freshpaper sheets are plant-based, reusable sheets infused with botanicals that naturally extend the life of fruits and vegetables. Simply add a sheet to the container your berries are stored in, then pop them in the fridge until it’s time to wash and eat them.
The sheets are free from BPAs, chemicals, and plastic, and they’re also organic, biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable—so you won’t have to worry about anything other than natural ingredients being stored with your food.
Paoli 304 Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Colander Set
If you prefer soaking your berries in vinegar, a strainer is necessary to remove excess moisture before drying them completely. We like this stainless steel set that includes a mixing bowl and a strainer that nests inside, which lets you add the berries with vinegar and water to soak, then lift them up for easy draining.
Both pieces are made of 304 stainless steel, so they’re food-safe and simple to clean in the dishwasher. We recommend opting for the smaller size for rinsing berries, but the set is also available in larger sizes that can be used for cleaning larger fruits and vegetables with the same method.
Lane Linen Cotton Kitchen Towels
If you’d rather not wait to rinse your berries before storing them, cotton kitchen towels are a great way to dry them for proper storage. Once you get home from the grocery store or the farmers market, rinse your berries in cold water or soak them with vinegar and water, then lay them out and pat them dry with cotton towels.
These towels are quick-drying and machine washable, and since they come in a set of six, they’ll be a handy addition to the kitchen for more than just drying berries. Just be sure to let the berries air-dry completely on the towel before storing them, for best results.
Farberware Pro Small Salad Spinner
Salad spinners are great for mixing a fresh salad with dressing at home, but they’re also the perfect hack for drying berries and other produce. We love Farberware’s mini salad spinner that’s just the right size for batches of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and more.
Since the exterior is a solid bowl that the basket fits inside of, you can also use it to pre-soak berries with vinegar and water before rinsing them. After soaking, pour out the liquid, then use the pump to spin them around and remove moisture in seconds.
Zorbette Dri-Tabs Moisture Absorbers
Similar to silica gel packets in shipping boxes, these packets remove moisture from the air around produce, but with food-safe and eco-friendly materials. Each packet is filled with a plant-fiber matrix that absorbs moisture to keep berries, other fruits, and vegetables fresh longer.
Simply toss a packet inside the storage container holding the berries, then keep them in the fridge until they’re ready to wash and eat. They’re also especially helpful for removing any extra moisture from berries you’ve washed before storing, and since a pack of 75 is less than $15, they’re a budget-friendly kitchen hack for households that love keeping fresh produce on hand.
Oxo Good Grips GreenSaver Produce Keeper
Similar to Rubbermaid’s FreshWorks containers, we love Oxo’s GreenSaver produce containers that keep produce fresh longer than sealed food storage containers. They’re made with an inner basket that keeps fruit raised and safely away from moisture at the bottom, and the basket is removable to double as a strainer for easy rinsing when you’re ready to eat.
The collection comes in a variety of sizes, so it’s easy to find the best option for different types of berries and produce. And if you love keeping herbs at home, you can also snag the herb keeper to store herbs from your garden or fresh from the farmers market.
Pyrex FreshLock Glass Food Storage Containers
To keep berries extra fresh for long-term storage, we recommend freezing them, and the right set of glass food storage containers is the perfect choice. This set from Pyrex comes with five containers in the 4-cup size, which is just roomy enough to store produce without taking up too much space in the freezer.
They’re made with leakproof, airtight lids that lock securely shut, and when it’s time for a cleaning, both the lids and glass bases are safe to use in the dishwasher. As a bonus, the lids have built-in write and erase labels, so you can date your fruit before storing it to keep track of how fresh it is.
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