Updated on January 25, 2023
Have you ever noticed that the life span of raspberries declines as soon as you wash them under the tap? most of them get crushed on the spot and the others grow mold. This is because you have been washing the raspberries following the wrong method. But not to worry about this anymore, as from now on you will learn the easiest steps to clean the raspberries and you will also notice how they are living longer.
We all know how delicate the family of berries is, with a little pressure they get damaged and leave their juice to spill all over. So it’s time to save your delicious berries from further squeeze. That is the reason I have brought an article today in which I will guide you on how to clean the raspberries but will also tell you the technique through which they will last longer in your fridge and will maintain their taste even if you freeze them for a bit longer
How to Clean Raspberries
Never ever wash your berries under the tap. Why? Because the pressure of the water makes them burst and along with this if you put these wet berries in the fridge then there are 90 percent of chance that the berries at the bottom will start developing mold onto them and will destroy the rest of the berries as well. So it’s better to follow some thoughtful steps that will change your life forever.
Things that You will Need
- Water 2 cups
- Apple cider
- Paper towel
- Colander
Method
- First of all, take a bowl and fill it with about ⅓ water. It would be better to take cold water rather than hot water or the water at room temperature.
- Now add about 5 tablespoons of apple vinegar to it. Although you can also use white vinegar if apple cider is not available. But it would be better if you go with apple cider as it’s less synthetic.
- Now take a colander and place it in that bowl
- Now put raspberries in that colander carefully as a sudden drop can make collision and damage raspberries. If you don’t have a colander at home, you can dip the raspberries directly into the bowl.
- Now take a tray and place it over the shelf just by the side of the bowl with raspberries.
- Spread tissue paper over it so that the whole tray or plate is covered with tissue paper.
- Now pick the colander and you will see all the water draining from its holes. Spread these berries over the tissue paper in a subtle way. If you aren’t using a colander then take out the raspberries, two to three at a time and not more than that, and place them over the tissue paper.
- Now take another piece of tissue paper and spread it over the raspberry. Remember that you don’t have to press the tissue paper at all. The tissue will itself put all the unnecessary water over the raspberries making them dry.
- After two to three minutes when you feel that the raspberries have dried, you can dispose of the tissue papers and put all the raspberries into the air-tight container.
Tip
Always use a container of a rectangular shape so that no raspberries come over each other. This will save them from developing mold even after 6 days after being placed in a fridge.
Washing the Raspberries with Just a Vinegar
You might have hit with an idea that you can also wash berries with just white vinegar or apple cider, but don’t even think to do so. However, most people wash the berries with vinegar but that is not recommended to me. Why? Well, because washing the berries with just vinegar, whether apple cider or white vinegar, can be harmful to the first layer of berries, and also this can change the taste of the berries.
I have noticed, in my case, that the berries washed with just vinegar taste more like sour and ripped berries. But let me add here that some people do not feel any taste difference so it is up to you whether you wanna wash it with vinegar only or with the solution of water and vinegar.
Freezing Raspberries
If you are thinking of freezing the raspberries then rinsing them with water is still a bad idea. Clean the raspberries as mentioned above and then put them to dry under the fan or over the tissue paper. After the raspberries become totally dried, enclose them in a freezer bag.
And when you want to make raspberries thawed, place the freezer bag on a plate or in a tray till they totally defrost. This is essential because sometimes the freezer bag is damaged and the raspberries’ juice gets leaked out of that damaged part of the freezer bag and spills all over the area creating a mess.
Tip
Most of the time the raspberries are frozen for making smoothies or some other desserts with it later on. So if this is your plan then you can also cut the raspberries after soaking them in vinegar in drying them up. It’s time when you put them in a freezer bag and sprinkle some sugar over it after every layer. This sprinkled sugar will make raspberries taste better even if you take them out after 2 to 3 months.
Other Advantages of this Method
Washing the raspberries with vinegar doesn’t only help to remove dust from them but also kills the pesticides and harmful bacteria. Some people also use salt and baking soda instead of apple cider vinegar. But if you ask me I would recommend for you apple cider as this works best of all.
This method can be followed for every kind of berries. So whether you bring strawberries, blueberries, or boysenberries to your home, you can rely on this method blindly. Also, I would like to add here that this technique is not only reliable when you target to put the raspberries in the fridge, but this method also increases the shelf life of the raspberries.
FAQs
Can I wash raspberries with baking soda?
Yes, baking soda is also a good idea. It was your raspberries. You can add the raspberries into the baking soda water for about 15 to 20 minutes and then dry them up.
Does soaking fruit in vinegar remove pesticides?
Yes, apart from being a great dust and debris removal, vinegar acts as the best to remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables. Soak the fruits in water containing certain spoons of vinegar for around 10 to 15 minutes and all the germ and bacteria will be removed.
Can I wash my fruit with dish soap?
No, it is a bad idea to wash your raspberries or any other fruit or vegetable with the dishwasher. In Fact, you should also not use any other cleaning product to wash your vegetables and fruits as this might add some residues on the edible which might not appear when washed with them but later on they will make a layer over it which will be harmful to your health.
Conclusion
It’s better that you soak the berries in a solution of water and vinegar for about 10 minutes minimum and then dry them up before you put them in a fridge or freezer. All the steps mentioned above are self-tested. I found this really helpful and thus thought of sharing this with you. Hope you will follow this method next time when you bring any kind of berries to your home.
