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Preserve Strawberries: 5 Ways

Strawberry season begins in early summer. Whether you buy it or harvest it yourself, it pays to know these five ways to preserve the sweet fruit.

Strawberry season in Europe runs from the beginning of May to the end of August. During this time you can buy the red summer fruits everywhere – or harvest them yourself. Because strawberries only stay fresh for about two to three days in the fridge, it’s worth preserving them. That way you’ll have something of them for longer. In this article, we have summarized seven methods you can use to preserve strawberries.

Important: When buying strawberries, make sure that they are organic if possible. You support ecologically sustainable agriculture that does not use chemical-synthetic pesticides. This protects the environment and is better for your health.

Water and vinegar bath: this is how strawberries stay fresh longer

If you don’t necessarily want to process the strawberries further, but just want to preserve their freshness, then the so-called vinegar-water bath is suitable. That’s how it’s done:

For this method, first select all the strawberries that don’t already have any soft spots. Wash them off gently under cold water. Place them in a large enough bowl.
Fill the bowl one-third full with apple cider vinegar and two-thirds full with cold water. All of the strawberries should be covered by the vinegar and water mixture.
Leave the strawberries in the bowl for about 2 minutes. Then rinse it again under cold water.
Place the strawberries carefully on a clean tea towel or kitchen paper. Pat them as dry as possible, then let them sit until they’re completely dry. This step is important because damp or wet strawberries spoil more quickly.
Place another dry tea towel in as flat a container as possible. Place the strawberries on top. Check from time to time whether the cloth is still dry. If not, swap it out.
You can use this trick to extend the shelf life of strawberries by up to 10 days. This is because the vinegar will kill any germs and mold on the strawberries.

Freeze strawberries

Freezing is another way to preserve fresh strawberries. With this classic method, the aromatic fruits can be kept in the freezer for up to twelve months. In our guide, we explain step by step how to freeze strawberries.

Good to know: Thawed strawberries have a rather mushy consistency. Therefore, this method is particularly suitable if you want to use the frozen berries in a smoothie or if you want to heat them up after they have been thawed.

Boil strawberries

You can store unopened strawberries for up to two years.

Candied strawberries

Candiing fruit is a bit more time consuming. It is especially worthwhile if you want to preserve a large quantity of strawberries. However, candying is a good way to turn the berries into a delicious candy. Check out another article for detailed instructions on how to candy strawberries. Candied strawberries can be stored in an airtight jar for up to 12 months.

Preserve strawberries: the dry method

By processing the strawberries into crunchy strawberry chips, you extend their shelf life to up to twelve months. However, this method of preserving strawberries is quite energy-intensive. Like candying, it is only worthwhile if you want to process larger quantities.

How the dry method works:

Wash the strawberries and remove the stalk. Cut the fruit into slices.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and sprinkle as evenly as possible with powdered sugar. Place the strawberry slices on top.
Dry the strawberries in the oven at 60 degrees top and bottom heat for four to five hours. Important: The oven door should not be completely closed. Using a wooden spoon, keep them slightly open.
Once all of the strawberry chips are nice and dry and crisp, you can take the tray out of the oven and let them cool.
Then carefully collect the strawberry chips from the tray and fill them into an airtight container.

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Food

Fermenting Radishes: This is How You Preserve Them

Fermenting radishes is a quick and healthy way to preserve the tubers for a few months. You also benefit from their healthy nutrients in winter. We’ll give you a simple recipe to make yourself.

If you ferment radishes, you can enjoy them all year round. Root vegetables are usually in season from May to October. That’s when the little red bulbs taste best.

By fermenting you can preserve their taste and the valuable ingredients for the other months. Radishes owe their hot note to their mustard oils. They are good for the immune system and make radishes so healthy.

Radishes originally come from Asia. However, they are also available from regional cultivation. When buying, make sure that they come from organic farming. This protects your health and the environment, since no chemical-synthetic pesticides are used.

Tip: Prefer radishes and plant radishes yourself. This can be done in the garden or on the balcony.

Fermenting radishes: How to do it

Ferment radishes quickly with this easy recipe. You need for this:

  • Cutting board and knife
  • Sterile mason jar with a capacity of 1.5 l (tip: this is how you can sterilize jars)
  • Fermentation weight: the weight is important to keep the radishes covered in liquid. Purchase special glass or ceramic weights from specialty retailers. Alternatively, use acid-resistant items. It is important that you can take the weight off easily. For example, place the weights in a reusable freezer bag. There are also weights that come with a handle so you can take them out easily.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of radishes
20 grams of salt
1 liter of water
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp mustard seeds

Directions:

Mix the salt with the water and stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Here’s how to make 2% brine.
Remove the leaves from the radishes and wash the radishes thoroughly. Tip: reuse the radish leaves to avoid wasting food.
Cut off the tops of the radishes. Optional: Halve or quarter your radishes so you can enjoy them as a snack afterwards. Of course, you can also ferment them whole.

Now put the pepper and mustard seeds in the glass. Add the radishes to weigh the spices down.
Place a fermentation weight on the radishes and top up the jar with the brine. Leave a small rim of about an inch so the jar doesn’t overflow when fermentation begins. Close your jar and label it with the contents and the date.
Store the radishes at room temperature for the first week to allow fermentation to begin. Then put them in a cool place or in the fridge for at least two weeks.
After three weeks, the radishes are fully fermented. Keep them cool and make sure they are always covered by the brine. Then the radishes will keep for a few months.
The fermented radishes taste delicious as a snack between meals and go great as a side dish with bread or in fresh salads.

Fermenting: why does it make sense?

Fermenting radishes and other foods is a traditional way of preserving fresh produce longer. As a result, important nutrients and vitamins are retained. This was particularly important in the past, when there was no imported food from the south in winter.

Fermented radishes are probiotic. This means that they contain living microorganisms that have a positive effect on the stomach and intestinal flora. The fermentation process is called lactic acid fermentation. Don’t let the name put you off. Lactic acid is formed when food begins to ferment. The product remains completely vegan. Also read: Is lactic acid vegan? You should know that.

If you want to ferment your radishes, use the right helpers. This allows you to ferment quickly and safely.

By the way: If you store your radishes properly, they will stay crisp longer. Freeze radishes to make them last longer.

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