Strawberries are one of those fruits that you can almost always expect to find in abundance at your local grocery store. But even though stores handle and process strawberries and other fresh produce, they still need to be thoroughly washed and cleaned when you bring them home. This is particularly important in cases of cyclosporosis on the rise in the United States.
The disease, caused by a parasite (cyclospora) contracted by eating droppings found on produce like lettuce, apples and, yes, strawberries, has serious symptoms, including digestive problems like diarrhea.
To avoid the risk of cyclosporosis and extend the shelf life of strawberries, I spoke to experts, including microbiologists and culinary instructors, to find out the best way to clean strawberries and the most effective products to do it.
The Best Way to Clean Strawberries, According to ExpertsAlthough contracting a disease from eating fruit is a serious problem, it doesn’t mean you should cut out all fruit. Washing your produce properly can help you avoid problems and, as a bonus, extend the life of your fruit. There are different cleaning methods you can adopt for strawberries, which I describe in detail below based on the advice I received from experts.
Sort out unwashed strawberries and discard any that are visibly bruised, spoiled or moldy.If you’re not eating the strawberries right away or using them in a recipe, store them in the ventilated container they came in or transfer them to a food storage container designed specifically for keeping produce fresh.When you are ready to use or eat your strawberries, get a large glass bowl and a strainer Or fine mesh sieve. Place the sieve or colander in the bowl and add the strawberries. Add one part distilled white vinegar to three parts cold water (for example: 1 cup vinegar to 3 cups tap water). Use your hands to gently move the strawberries to remove excess debris and let them sit for up to a minute, but no longer, as this can alter their texture, according to Michael Handal, culinary instructor at Culinary Education Institute. Remove the sieve from the bowl and allow the water to drain from the strawberries. Alternatively, if you don’t have a sieve or colander, fill the bowl with vinegar and water, let the strawberries sit, then drain the water. Transfer the strawberries to a large cutting board Or baking tray lined with paper towels. Distribute them evenly so that they do not overlap. Gently press another paper towel over the strawberries and dry thoroughly. The drier the better, as residual moisture will cause them to deteriorate more quickly. To make them even drier, transfer the strawberries to a salad spinner. Gently press the top pump at least several times to spin the strawberries until they are completely dry. Store them in a ventilated food container in the refrigerator.Top Rated Products for Washing StrawberriesAll products below have an average rating of at least four stars from 500 or more reviews on Amazon.
This salad spinner is not only great for rinsing and drying lettuce leaves, it’s also great for drying your rinsed strawberries. After putting them in a mixture of water and distilled white vinegar, you can put them in there and swirl them to remove excess water. Then, finish the drying process with a paper towel before adding them to an aerated produce container.
I’ve used water and a mixture of water and distilled white vinegar before to clean produce, and both methods work great. What I like is that the smell and taste of the white vinegar doesn’t attach to the strawberries at all; it fades after rinsing and drying. This also applies to using vinegar to clean areas of my home, which is why I also like to use it to clean my kitchen and bathroom.
This fruit and vegetable wash is perfect for washing strawberries and all your other fruits and vegetables, including leafy greens like lettuce. It’s made from a blend of water, glycerin, potassium hydroxide, citrus and seed oils, and emulsifying acids like oleic and linoleic acids—together, these ingredients help remove waxy layers on products that may harbor contaminants, according to the brand. According to the brand, it has no residual taste and people who have purchased it say it has a subtle but very mild smell.
These food storage containers are designed to keep produce like berries, leafy greens and vegetables fresh. They have removable inserts which, in addition to functioning as mini colanders, are ventilated, allowing air to circulate around the product and keeping it dry, preventing rapid deterioration. They also have lids that close, also to help them stay fresh, according to the brand. This set comes with five dishwasher-safe containers, each increasing in size.
Should you wash strawberries and other fresh produce?In short: yes. That’s because even if they appear clean on the surface, berries and other produce are susceptible to dirt, bacteria, fungi and other microbes, according to Handal. “Commercial products may also contain traces of chemicals and pesticides,” he says. “It is imperative to wash fresh produce before consuming it or preparing meals and washing methods vary depending on the type and characteristics of the produce you are preparing.”
How does vinegar help clean strawberries?Although cold water does a decent job of cleaning surface impurities, you can go further by using a combination of water and distilled vinegar, according to Dr. Sharon Nachmanprofessor of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook University. “Vinegar is an acid,” she says. “And none of the insects like acid and certainly bacteria don’t like acid.” The vinegar is what releases bugs and bacteria from the surface of the strawberries, she says.
Does vinegar kill cyclospora?Although vinegar doesn’t kill pathogens, bacteria, and parasites such as those linked to cyclospora, it is very acidic, so it “will help dislodge bacteria and parasites from their attachment to fruits and vegetables,” says Nachman. This is why experts recommend using it to clean products with running water to further remove debris.
Should you wash all your strawberries at once or as you eat them?It’s generally better to wash strawberries while you eat or prepare them rather than washing, drying, and storing them at the same time. This is because washing them immediately makes them more likely to deteriorate more quickly due to moisture buildup. “Strawberries should be stored, unwashed, in the plastic clamshell-style containers in which they were purchased,” says Handal. “An alternative would be to store them in a loose plastic bag.”
While you can technically wash them all at once, it’s essential to make sure you dry them thoroughly afterward and store them in a ventilated food container, as excess moisture causes them to go bad more quickly. It’s also important to sort out visibly spoiled or bruised strawberries before putting them in the refrigerator, as this also contributes to the spoilage of the rest of the berries, according to Handal.
Meet our expertsAt NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Michael Handal is a chef and instructor at Culinary Education Institute in New York. Dr. Sharon Nachman is professor and chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine.Why trust NBC Selected?I am a business editor at NBC Selectedwhere I write about kitchen products and cleaning tips, including topics like how to clean hardwood floors And how often should you change your towels. I also have prior experience editing recipes and writing explanations about food storage and cleaning. I spoke with two experts to get their advice for this story.
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