It can be disappointing to come home with a fresh batch of berries, stash it in the fridge, and return to it the next day to find it mouldy and unsalvageable. Thankfully, with a quick bath in some hot water, you berries can live to see another day.
Photo by Kevin Lawver.
It may sound difficult to believe, but a 30-second dip in hot water – not boiling – can keep your berries from moulding without cooking the insides. According to an old tip from New York Times food writer Harold McGee, giving your berries a quick dunk in water between 40 and 60 degrees Celsius will keep them from moulding for a few extra days.
Once you’ve let your berries warm up a bit, take them out, unpack them, and spread them out on paper towels so they don’t press against each other. Then, keeping them as spread out as you can on a cookie sheet or pie pan, put them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. Of course, nothing beats fresh, but if you do need to pick up berries on Thursday and bake a pie on Saturday, this might help.
Prolonging the Life of Berries [The New York Times]
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