Strawberries are a nutritious fruit that is loved by many people around the world. But a strawberry season is too short for everyone to enjoy? How to keep strawberries fresh for a long time?
If you know how to store strawberries properly, you can keep them fresh for up to 12 months. So how to keep strawberries fresh? We will show you 4 easy ways you can do it at home in this article! Let’s start with us!
What do You Need to Know Before Making How to Keep Strawberries Fresh?
Before you start making how to keep strawberries fresh, we want to make sure you have a good understanding of strawberries first. Because only when you understand it well can you really preserve it the best.
The strawberry originated in Europe in the 18th century. It is a hybrid between two species of North American and Chilean wild berries. Strawberries are bright red, juicy, and sweet. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese, and contain large amounts of folate and potassium. Strawberries are rich in antioxidants and plant compounds, which may benefit heart health and blood sugar control. They are often eaten fresh or made into a variety of jams, jellies, and desserts.
Strawberries are the first to ripen in spring. This fruit is gorgeous and appealing to anyone who knows we can’t wait to enjoy its pure freshness, so strawberries choose spring to usher in their sweet-smelling flowers.
On average, each strawberry has 200 seeds on the rind. If other fruits have seeds in the middle of the fruit, which means you have to cut off the skin and flesh of the fruit before you can get the seeds, with strawberries you can easily see its seeds right outside bark.
Although they are called strawberries, they are not in the berry family. They are in the category of pseudo-mating fruits (i.e., fruit in which part of the pulp does not originate from the pistil, but from the outer tissue near the carpel. In botanical terms, the berry family needs to be called a berry. There must be seeds inside, but strawberries are a family of their own because strawberries do not come from a single pistil.
Strawberry seeds can grow into new mulberry plants. Very few people may know this because we usually eat whole seeds. And maybe people think that strawberry seeds are quite fragile to be able to grow into new plants.
As you walk through the strawberry beds, enjoy the sweet scent of strawberry flowers. Considered a member of the rose family, strawberry flowers exude a sweet fragrance on strawberry bushes.
Nutritional Value of Strawberries
This is important and necessary information that you need to know to be able to implement how to keep strawberries fresh and still retain the nutritional value of strawberries. Strawberries are mainly composed of water (91%) and carbohydrates (7.7%). They contain only small amounts of fat (0.3%) and protein (0.7%). The nutrients in 100 grams of fresh strawberries are:
- Calories: 32
- Country: 91%
- Protein: 0.7 grams
- Carbs: 7.7 grams
- Sugar: 4.9 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Fat: 0.3 grams
Carbs
Fresh strawberries contain a lot of water, so their total carb content is very low – less than 8 grams of carbs per 100 grams. The net digestible carb content is less than 6 grams in the same serving. Most of the carbs of these berries come from simple sugars – such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose – but they also contain some fiber.
Strawberries have a glycemic index (GI) of 40, which is relatively low. This means that strawberries will not spike blood sugar levels and are considered safe for people with diabetes.
Fiber
Fiber makes up about 26% of a strawberry’s carbs. A 100-gram serving of strawberries can provide 2 grams of fiber – both soluble and insoluble. Fiber is important for feeding the friendly bacteria in your gut and improving digestive health. They are also very helpful for weight loss and can help prevent many diseases.
Vitamins and Minerals
The most abundant vitamins and minerals in strawberries include:
- Vitamin C: Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, an antioxidant essential for immune and skin health.
- Manganese: large amounts in whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables. This trace element is important for many processes in your body.
- Folate (vitamin B9): As one of the B vitamins, folate is important for normal tissue growth and cell function – and essential for pregnant women and older adults.
- Kali: This mineral is involved in many essential bodily functions, such as blood pressure regulation.
- To a lesser extent, strawberries can provide iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins B6, K, as well as E.
Other Plant Compounds
Strawberries are packed with antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds, including:
- Pelargonidin: The main anthocyanin in strawberries, this compound is what gives strawberries their bright red color.
- Ellagic acid: Found in large amounts in strawberries, ellagic acid is a polyphenol antioxidant that may have many health benefits.
- Ellagitannin: Related to ellagic acid, ellagitannin is converted to ellagic acid in your intestines.
- Procyanidins: These are antioxidants commonly found in the flesh and seeds of strawberries, which have health benefits.
Anthocyanins
More than 25 anthocyanins have been found in strawberries. Anthocyanins are responsible for the bright colors of fruits as well as flowers. They are usually concentrated in the skin of the fruit, but berries – such as strawberries – also tend to have anthocyanins in their flesh.
Anthocyanin content is usually proportional to color intensity, which increases greatly as the fruit ripens. Foods rich in anthocyanins have been linked to many health benefits, especially concerning heart health.
Ellagitannin and Ellagic Acid
Strawberries consistently rank among the top sources of phenolic antioxidants – with levels 2–11 times higher than other fruits. Ellagitannin and ellagic acid comprise a large portion of these antioxidants in strawberries. May help fight bacteria and reduce cancer risk. The main ellagitannin in strawberries is sanguiin H-6.
Health Benefits of Strawberries
One more factor that you need to understand about the benefits that strawberries bring to humans before implementing how to keep strawberries fresh. There are many benefits of strawberries that may surprise you!
Heart Health
Studies have found a relationship between berries – or anthocyanins in berries – and improved heart health. Large observational studies in thousands of people show that berry consumption is associated with a lower risk of heart-related death. Additionally, according to a study in middle-aged people with obvious heart disease risk factors, berries can improve HDL (good) cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood platelet function.
Strawberries can also:
- Improve blood antioxidant status
- Reduce oxidative stress
- Reduce inflammation
- Improve blood vessel function
- Improve your blood lipid profile
- Reduces harmful oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Regulate Blood Sugar
When carbs are digested, your body breaks them down into simple sugars, releases them into your bloodstream. Then your body starts secreting insulin, which tells your cells to take sugar from your blood and use it for fuel or storage. An imbalance in blood sugar regulation and a diet high in sugar can lead to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Strawberries seem to slow glucose digestion and reduce spikes in both glucose and insulin after a high-carb meal, compared with a high-carb meal without strawberries. So strawberries may be especially helpful for preventing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Prevent Cancer
Cancer is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. Cancer formation and progression are often linked to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Some studies suggest that berries may help prevent certain types of cancer through their ability to fight stress. oxidation and inflammation.
Strawberries have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in animals with oral cancer and human liver cancer cells. The protective effect of strawberries may be promoted by ellagic acid and ellagitannin, which have been shown to suppress cancer cell growth. More human studies are needed to improve understanding of the effects of strawberries on cancer before definite conclusions can be drawn.
How to Keep Strawberries Fresh?
Use bath vinegar, strawberries will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks
One of the great things about vinegar is that it kills harmful bacteria, so soaking strawberries in it will help them stay fresh longer. And don’t worry about your berries tasting like vinegar. Because you will wash it before storing it. Follow these five simple steps to soaking strawberries and can help them stay fresh longer. The good news is that this method works with any type of berry.
- Step 1: Pour 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup water into the measuring cup. You may need to add more vinegar/water in the above ratio depending on how many strawberries you plan to soak.
- Step 2: Put the water/vinegar solution in a bowl or glass container. Then add the strawberries and soak for about five minutes.
- Step 3: Take out the strawberries and wash them under the tap
- Step 4: Arrange the strawberries on a dry paper towel to absorb all the water.
- Step 5: Line the strawberry container with paper towels, then put the strawberries in, cover the lid, and put it in the refrigerator.
Store in an airtight container – Fresh up to 1 week
Cutting strawberries and putting them in boxes is the most common way to know how to keep strawberries fresh. For this method, you don’t need to wash the fruit until it’s ready to use. The only things you need are tissues and an airtight container. This method can keep your berries fresh for about a week.
- Step 1: Wash the strawberries then cut off the stem.
- Step 2: Line the airtight container with paper towels and place the strawberries inside. Make sure they are spread out so that the strawberries don’t touch the bottom of the box.
- Step 3: Close the lid of the box, label it and store it in the refrigerator.
Want to eat strawberries right away? Let the strawberries come to room temperature
If you’re confident you can eat the entire box of strawberries as soon as you buy them, you don’t have to keep them in the fridge. Just keep the box in a cool, dry place, at room temperature.
Before eating, you wash the strawberries under running water with a small jet. Next, you quickly use a soft towel to dry, avoid letting the water stick for a long time because it will lose the delicious taste.
Freeze Your Strawberries – Can Keep Up to 12 Months
This method of how to keep strawberries fresh can keep your strawberries fresh and preserve nutrients for up to 12 months. Follow our instructions!
This method is perfect for strawberries that you plan to use in your own dessert or sweet treat. You can use as little or as much sugar as you like. Be sure to taste one of the strawberries before freezing so you know it’s the right sweetness. You don’t want to end up with strawberries that are too sweet for you to eat. Our recommendation is to mix 1/4 cup of sugar for every 10 ounces of berries.
- Step 1: You need to prepare some sugar, an airtight container, and your strawberries.
- Step 2: Wash your strawberries and put them in a pot. Then remove the stem and cut it in half.
- Step 3: Put the strawberries in a pot or bowl and pour in the sugar.
- Step 4: Gently stir the strawberries until the sugar dissolves. The mixture should be thick but not mushy. Then pour off the excess water.
- Step 5: Pour strawberries into a safe refrigerator freezer as well as store them. Your berries will last up 12 months.
We hope that with the previous sharing, you have fully understood about how to keep fresh strawberries. Good luck!