Give Berries a Hot Water Bath to Prevent Mold Growth [Food Hacks]

 

 

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Give Berries a Hot Water Bath to Prevent Mold Growth [Food Hacks]

via Lifehacker by Alan Henry on 6/18/11

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 or so to find it moldy and unsalvageable. Thankfully, with a quick bath in some good hot water, your berries can live to see another day.

It may sound difficult to believe, but a 30-second dip in hot water – not boiling, but close to it – can keep your berries from molding without cooking the insides. An old tip from New York Times food writer Harold McGee, giving your berries a quick dunk in water between 120 and 140 degrees will keep them from molding 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. How do you keep your fresh produce fresh in the fridge? Share your tips in the comments. Photo by Kevin Lawver.

Prolonging the Life of Berries | The New York Times

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