Fresh strawberries are unsurpassed in taste. On the other hand, if you cannot and do not want to eat the entire harvest at once, choose appropriate storage with the least possible loss of quality. We have compiled the best methods for you.

Keep in the fridge for a short time

If the storage time for fresh strawberries is limited to 1 to 2 days, the vegetable compartment in the refrigerator is a good choice. The fruits are not washed and certainly not cleaned if they are to retain their aroma. Ideally, you should fill the strawberries in a fresh box lined with kitchen paper immediately after harvesting. Unsealed, no mold can form here.

Where the temperature in the refrigerator can be reduced to 0-2 degrees, the strawberries are still suitable for consumption even after 5 days.

This turns the chest freezer into an aroma safe for strawberries

The storage of freshly harvested strawberries is extended to an impressive 10 months if you freeze the fruit. To ensure that the delicate procedure succeeds in an exemplary manner, you can choose from the following procedures:

  • Wash the strawberries, clean and vacuum seal in a freezer bag
  • Alternatively, halve the cleaned fruit, add sugar and freeze with the peel
  • frozen in ice cube trays with water or sparkling wine, the fruits can be removed individually during storage
  • optionally puree the strawberries, add sugar and pour into the ice cube tray as a mush

So that the frozen strawberries do not become mushy after storage, they are individually pre-frozen on a tray. Then fill the fruit into a freezer bag to store them in the freezer to save space.

Cook properly for years of storage

Our grandmothers used simple means to demonstrate how strawberries can be preserved over the long term. The fruits are boiled down with plenty of sugar to make tempting jam or refreshing compote. The following aspects are relevant:

  • Sterilize the mason jars, lids and rubber rings meticulously in boiling water
  • only use fully ripe strawberries without damage
  • Fill the glasses loosely with the fruit
  • Dissolve 300 grams of sugar per liter of water and pour over the strawberries
  • Clean the edge of the glass again, put on the rubber ring with the lid and fix it with a retaining clip

Place the preserving jars you have prepared in a large cauldron so that one third of them are immersed in water. At 75 degrees, the cooking process takes 25 minutes. The temperature is checked with a special thermometer. While the jars are cooling down, the vacuum required for long-term storage develops. They are best kept in a cool, dark basement room at 12-16 degrees.

tips and tricks

Strawberries, pickled in high-percentage alcohol, experience tipsy storage. The best-known version is the Rumtopf, which ensures a shelf life of 6-8 months and longer. The classic recipe uses 500 grams of strawberries, 250 grams of sugar and 1 bottle of 54% rum, covered with cellophane in a traditional rum pot.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

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Care tips