Strawberries freshly picked from the garden, if properly stored, will last a week in the refrigerator. But no one knows how long the berries have been waiting for you on the counter. Below are a few life hacks that will help strawberries last a couple of days longer.

1. Choose fresh berries

Food storage starts with purchase. When you choose strawberries, carefully inspect the berries themselves and the container in which they are stored. If the strawberries have darkened, become soft, and pieces of pulp remain on the walls of the box, then the berries have already begun to deteriorate. Even a few moldy berries are a sign of a stale product.

When picking strawberries from your own garden, pick off completely reddened but still firm berries without waiting for them to soften.

2. Sort through strawberries immediately after purchase

Even if you really want to put the box in the refrigerator and take it out, just to pour cream on the berries, you need to make an effort and sort through all the berries after purchase. The cleanest, freshest batch of store-bought berries can contain a couple of moldy ones. You need to get rid of them immediately, otherwise this fly in the ointment will spoil the entire barrel of honey.

The same applies to food stored nearby: mold quickly spoils strawberries, so keep only fresh fruit in the refrigerator.

3. Choose the right storage container

In good packaging, strawberries will stay fresh longer, and good packaging for berries is boxes made of durable cardboard or wood with holes for ventilation. Plastic can also work, but holes must also be made in it. The thinner the layer of berries, the longer they will lie in the refrigerator. Spread layers of strawberries with paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

4. Do not wash all the berries at once

Strawberries should only be washed before you are going to eat them. If you leave the berries moist, they will spoil faster, so postpone the water treatment until you decide to use the strawberries. When it is required to store clean berries, after washing, put them on a paper towel and dry.

5. Use Vinegar

A mixture of water and vinegar helps to remove bacteria from the surface of the berries better than water alone. But this method should be used only if there were a lot of spoiled berries in one batch: then the benefits of processing will be higher than the harm from excess moisture.

Make a solution by mixing vinegar with water in a ratio of 1:3. Spray berries or rinse by rubbing each berry gently. In any case, do not forget to dry the strawberries on a paper towel.

6. Store berries in a special compartment of the refrigerator

In the last few years, almost all refrigerators have been produced with special compartments, the temperature in which does not exceed 2 ºС. That's where you put the berries.

7. Freeze strawberries

Many are unhappy with this method, because after defrosting the berries spread and turn into porridge. To prevent this from happening, send only strong berries to the freezer and only after removing the leaves, stems and drying the strawberries after washing.

If you're freezing whole strawberries, get creative. For example, dip berries in melted chocolate or yogurt before freezing.

Follow certain rules: in order for the berries to retain their beautiful shape, first lay them out one at a time (for example, on cutting boards), and then pour into bags or boxes. There must be room in the bags so that the strawberries do not turn into an ice ball.

8. Freeze Strawberry Puree

If the berries do not stand the test of frost, and you can’t eat them right now, don’t resist the circumstances. Make a puree, and send it to the freezer already. Then you can add crushed berries to smoothies or make pie fillings from them.

9. Defrost Properly

Do not put the berries in the microwave or under running water, as they are guaranteed to soften. Let them thaw in the refrigerator and eat while ice crystals are still present. Completely thawed strawberries still lose their shape.

10. Preserve Strawberries in Sugar Syrup

it reliable way save the berries, but in fact, you will have almost jam. For 800 g of berries, 400 g of sugar and three glasses of water will be required. Rinse the strawberries and dip them in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Then transfer to sterilized jars. Pour boiling syrup from water and sugar, close with sterilized lids.

11. Pour pectin syrup over strawberries

This is not the most common way, because pectin powder is rarely found on the shelves of ordinary stores. But you can buy it. Pectin is a natural stabilizer, most often obtained from apples. Put clean berries in sterile jars and fill them with boiled and cooled pectin syrup (cooking proportions vary depending on the manufacturer, so follow the instructions on the package). Strawberries will not become too cloying and retain their natural taste, but not for long - such preservation is not very reliable. In pectin, berries can also be frozen for greater safety.

The aroma that comes from wild strawberries will not leave anyone indifferent. Not without reason, in translation from Latin, its generic and specific name sounds like “fragrant edible”. Strawberries are the sweetest berry that can be found in the summer forest, on the edges and clearings. Once having tasted bright red fruits, you are unlikely to forget their taste and aroma. There will be a great desire to keep the strawberries longer. True, for this you will have to try.

Features of storing fresh strawberries

It is wiser to store fresh strawberries in the refrigerator. At room temperature, they will lose their aroma in a day or two, become sluggish and tasteless.

The storage time in the refrigerator depends on the temperature. At six degrees with a plus sign, strawberries will remain tasty for up to four days. If you maintain a lower temperature - from 0 to +2, the berries can be stored for about a week. When humidity and temperature rise, soft fruits begin to rot, lose flavor and aroma.

Neither peel nor wash the strawberries, otherwise all the juice will flow out. But sorting out the berries before storage, removing the dented and damaged ones will not hurt.

Freezing strawberries

In the raw state, strawberries cannot be stored for a long time. It is also not recommended to pour berries from one dish to another. Therefore, if there are a lot of strawberries and it cannot be kept fresh, you need to start processing immediately. A proven method is freezing berries.

The freezer is great for keeping fruits up to ten months.

The collected berries must be properly prepared:

• Sort through carefully.
• Wash so that no traces of earth or sand remain.
• Separate the stalks.
• Spread out on paper napkins or towels so that the strawberries dry thoroughly.

There are several ways to freeze. The first involves the use of whole berries:

• Pour the strawberries onto a baking sheet, tray or board.
• Smooth the berries so that they are arranged in one layer and do not touch each other.
• Send the baking sheet to the freezer (-18 degrees).
• Remove the container with completely frozen strawberries and scatter the berries in plastic bags.
• Send back to freezer.

Strawberries should not be kept on a baking sheet for more than a day, as it can freeze and lose both taste and useful qualities.

Pre-freezing in one layer ensures the safety of each berry and protects them from sticking together.

When strawberries choked during transportation, you can use another freezing method that allows you to harvest berries for the winter and store them until the next harvest. Necessary:

• Grind the fruits in a blender or grind through a sieve.
• Pour strawberry puree into small disposable cups, molds or ice trays, cover them with cling film.
• Place the container filled with berries in the freezer.
• Leave for long-term storage, the temperature should not be lowered below -18 degrees.

You can add a little sugar to the berry puree. Then in the freezer there will be not just strawberries, but ice cream.

If you take out a bottle or a glass of strawberry puree on a cold evening, warm it up a little and open it, then the summer aroma will instantly fill the whole room.

Drying strawberries

Strawberries have small berries, so drying them in the oven is easy. The fruits should be poured onto a baking sheet and loaded into the oven, preheating it to 50 degrees.

It is not necessary to cut off the sepals. The main thing is that there is no debris or rot on the fruits.

It will take 10-12 hours to dry strawberries. Cooled fruits are perfectly stored in closed containers - glass or metal - for a year or even two. They can be mixed with tea and get a fragrant berry drink.

"Live" strawberry jam

You can make regular jam, jam or compote from berries. But strawberries are perfectly preserved even without heat treatment. "Live" jam is prepared as follows:

• Add granulated sugar to clean and dried berries in a ratio of one to one.
• Grind the strawberries with a wooden crush or use a blender.
• Leave the mass for a couple of hours.
• Mix strawberries and pack in sterile half-liter jars.
• Sprinkle a centimeter layer of sugar on top.
• Close the container with a plastic lid and store in a cool room or refrigerator.

In this form, strawberries are stored for at least a year. The aroma and healing qualities are fully preserved.

Strawberry fruits are very tender. They don't last long in the refrigerator. Therefore, they should be eaten more fresh, and what could not be overpowered should be processed and hidden until winter.

End of May, beginning of June. Strawberries appear on the shelves of markets and markets, one of the most beloved berries, the taste and smell of which is remembered forever almost from early childhood, unless, of course, you were allergic to it. Besides the fact that strawberries are extremely delicious berry It is rich in vitamins and minerals. With the help of this very real vitamin complex, the blood is cleansed, immunity is increased, the work of the stomach, kidneys and the entire urinary system is improved. In cosmetology, strawberries are widely used for masks that improve the condition of the skin of the face. The strawberry period is short, only a few weeks, and you really want to keep this taste of summer longer! How and where to store strawberries correctly so that they retain the maximum useful properties, we will tell in this article.

How to properly store strawberries

Strawberries are extremely fragile and sensitive berries that spoil quickly. The berry can be stored very little, it is damaged by the slightest pressure. The best option is to consume strawberries immediately after purchase or picking. When buying, you need to pay attention to the color and hardness of the berry. It should be bright red in color, without dents or dark spots.

In fact, there are three ways to store strawberries:

• at room temperature (no more than 8 hours);
• in the refrigerator (no more than 5 days)
• in freezer(up to 12 months.

How to store strawberries in the refrigerator

If strawberries were bought with a margin, then they can be placed in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf. Arrange the strawberries in one layer and cover with foil.

Storage temperature

In the upper compartment of the refrigerator at a temperature of + 2-6 ° C, strawberries can be stored for up to 2 days. And if you put it in the lower compartment with a temperature of up to +2, then you can store strawberries there for up to five days.

We also want to note that you should not store strawberries in plastic containers in which they are sold. After the purchase, it is necessary to transfer the berries to a container that is more suitable for storage, optimally - as breathable as possible.

Important points when storing strawberries

Never wash strawberries. This berry, like a sponge, absorbs any moisture. Washed strawberries drastically reduce their shelf life, especially in the refrigerator. Just wipe each berry with a napkin.

Sorting strawberries after harvesting or purchasing them. It is worth remembering that just one berry can ruin all your strawberry stocks, because. mold tends to spread very quickly.

Choose the right storage utensils. Strawberries need to breathe because ideal solution there will be wooden or carton box with ventilation. Also, do not put many layers of strawberries in one container.

How to save strawberries for the winter

• Freeze with whole berries;
• Freeze strawberries with sugar;
• Freeze in the form of puree;
• Cook compotes or jams.

How to freeze whole strawberries

To freeze strawberries with whole berries, you need to choose ripe, freshly picked berries. You can determine freshness by cuttings and leaves. If they are twisted or have lost their bright green color, then these strawberries are best used for processing.

It will be correct if you first wash the strawberries, put them on a paper towel so that the water is glass and only then peel them from the stalks. You need to freeze the berries in portions on a tray so that they do not touch each other. And only after preliminary freezing, you can pour the berries into a bag and put in the freezer. Thus, it will be possible to take out fresh frozen strawberries in portions, as needed.

In this form, strawberries can be stored for up to 10 months.

How to freeze strawberries with sugar

To freeze strawberries with sugar, you will need 200 g of sugar for every kilogram of strawberries. First, rinse the berries and cut them into halves, then place them in a tightly closed container, such as a zip bag, and sprinkle with sugar.

How to freeze mashed strawberries

You can also puree the strawberries and put it in ice cubes. You can freeze strawberry puree with or without sugar. To preserve the color of strawberry puree as much as possible, sprinkle it with lemon juice before freezing.

Frozen puree can also be stored for up to ten months.

Other ways to save strawberries for the winter

Of course, you can make compotes, jams and jams from strawberries and enjoy them safely all year round, but there are an order of magnitude less vitamins in such dishes than in fresh berries.

Magnolia Susan

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(Magnolia Susan) - a hybrid of flowering plants from the genus Magnolia (Magnolia) of the family Magnoliaceae (Magnoliaceae). The hybrid was obtained from Magnolia liliiflora "Nigra" × Magnolia stellata "Rosea" in 1955-1956. At the US National Arboretum in Washington DC, botanist William F. Kosar and Dr. Francis de Vos. The variety went on sale in 1968. Included in the group ‘The Little Girl series’: ‘Ann’, ‘Betty’, ‘Jane’, ‘Judy’, ‘Pinkie’, ‘Randy’, ‘Ricki’. Plants in this series bloom 2-4 weeks later than (M. stellata) and (M. x soulangiana), which reduces the risk of flower damage from late spring frosts. The hybrid was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society (AGM) Award in 1993.

It is a deciduous vertically growing shrub or small tree 2.5-4 (6) m in height and width. Grows slowly. The crown is pyramidal when young, becoming rounded and dense later. The roots are fleshy, sensitive, located deep and on the surface. The bark is grey, smooth. Lives up to 50 years.

Leaves obovate or elliptical, 6-10 (15) cm long and 3-5 cm wide, dark green. Leaves turn yellowish-bronze in autumn.

The flowers are goblet or shaped, fragrant, growing vertically. Petals 6 in number, reach 9.5-12 cm in length and 3.5-4.5 cm in width, part of the petals is bent inward, purple at the base on the outside, the tips are lighter, violet-red to gray-purple. It blooms during the blooming of the leaves, for a long time, from the end of April to June.

The fruits are cone-shaped combined leaflets. Fruits in September.

Frost resistance zone: 6a (-25°C).

Location: the best place for landing is a sunny place, covered from the north and east winds. Relatively shade-tolerant. Moisture-loving, easily tolerates waterlogging. Demanding on air humidity. Needs watering during dry periods. It is recommended to mulch the trunk circle with peat, peat compost or wood chips 8-12 cm thick.

The soil: prefers acidic or neutral soil.

Landing: soil mixture - leaf humus, peat, sand in a ratio of 3:2:2. At the bottom of the pit, it is necessary to put drainage from crushed stone or coarse sand 15-20 cm thick. Transplantation should be carried out with caution, since thick and fleshy roots can be damaged very easily. It is recommended to buy plants with a closed root system and plant them in an open area in the spring.

Care: young plants for the winter require shelter with spruce branches or non-woven material, the stems are wrapped with burlap.

Reproduction: propagated by seeds, grafting and cuttings. Seeds after collection must be immediately sown in the ground or stratified in a cool room in the sand. Before sowing, it is recommended to grind the seeds with sand to remove the fleshy shell and rinse in water. Sowing is carried out in March-April in pick boxes, which are placed in a room with a temperature of + 15 + 18 ° C. After the appearance of 3 leaves, the seedlings dive into the beds. When propagated by seed, it blooms for the first time at 15 years.

Pests: Common spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), Transparent mite (Hemitarsonemus latus), field slug (Deroceras agrestis and Limax maximus), flail snail nemoralis (Cepaea nemoralis), grape snail (Helix pomatia), greenhouse striped aphid (Aulacorthum circumflexum or Neomyzus circumflexum) , Peach aphid (Myzus persicae), Rose thrips (Thrips fuscipennis, Haliday), Garden cutworm (Mamestra oleracea), Ivy scale insect (Aspidiotus hederae), Seaside mealybug (Pseudococcus maritimus), Eastern May beetle (Melolontha hippocastani), Western May beetle (M. melolontha).

Diseases: Bacterial leaf spot (Pseudomonas syringae), Plant rot (Pythium ultimum, Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia solani), powdery mildew(Erysiphe magnifica), Shoot death (Botrytis cinerea, Botryospheria sp.), Scab (Elsinoe magnoliae), Gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), Black fungus, (Cladosporium sp.)

Application: It is used in single landings on the lawn, as well as in group plantings to create alleys, in urban gardening. It can also be used to create tall informal hedges.