How to Pick the Best Strawberries at the Grocery Store<\/h2>\r\nSold in clear clamshell boxes or green baskets, grocery store berries tend to be firmer than farm berries\u2014and sometimes they can be dry or flavorless. To avoid that pitfall, sniff the berries: they should be very fragrant.\r\n\r\nStrawberries should be a vibrant shade of red with perky, green leaves. They don't ripen after they're picked (unlike these fruits<\/a>), so don't bother with berries that are still green or white. Look them over closely and avoid containers with berries that are mushy or moldy.\r\n\r\nDo you make any of these common berry mistakes<\/a>?\r\nHow to Pick Strawberries Off the Plant<\/h3>\r\n![\"Start](\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/GettyImages-1240125266.jpg?fit=700,466\")
\r\n\r\nWhen picking fruit fresh from the plant, choose strawberries that are fully ripened: all red with no white or green areas. Avoid any berries bearing nibbles from critters.\r\n\r\nThe best way to pick the strawberry is by holding the stem above the green cap and gently twisting it off the plant. Leaving the caps and leaves intact on the berries will help them last longer once home\u2014if you accidentally tear off the cap, that's a good excuse to eat it on the spot! Take care not to bruise the strawberries or damage the plants.\r\n\r\nGet your freshly-picked strawberries home as soon as possible, so they don't deteriorate in your warm car.\r\nHow to Store Strawberries<\/h2>\r\nAt home, strawberries will only stay fresh for about a day at room temperature. For longer storage, put the container of unwashed berries in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Do not wash berries<\/a> or remove the green tops until you're ready to use them. (Trust us: We tested several ways to store strawberries<\/a> to find the best.)\r\n\r\nNot planning to eat them soon? Strawberries freeze well.<\/a>\u00a0Wash and hull them, then arrange them in a single layer on a small tray. Place them in the freezer. Once they're frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and store for 3-6 months.\r\n\r\nIf you love strawberries, these are the best berry tools<\/a> to make storing and prepping berries a breeze.\r\n\r\n[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[\/cf]","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whether you’re shopping at the grocery store or swinging by a u-pick farm, here’s how to pick strawberries and store them to prevent mold and mushiness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7801,"featured_media":1779856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[307119,307104,303887,306848,307141,303883],"categories-v2":[310169,310155,308478,309603,310187,308476],"coauthors":[39567],"acf":{"ncv_override_generic_settings_option":false,"ncv_autoplay_option":"","ncv_stickyplay_option":"","ncv_ads_option":"","ncv_mute_option":"","ncv_comscore_option":"","ncv_moat_option":"","ncv_autoplay_mobile_option":"","ncv_viewable_threshold_option":"","ncv_sticky_offset_option":"","ncv_autopause_option":"","ncv_sticky_offset_mobile_option":"","ncv_autopause_mobile_option":"","ncv_sticky_mobile_option":"","ncv_remove_player_option":false,"long_pin_file":false},"yoast_head":"\n
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23:58:57","action":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category"},"canonical_url":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-pick-strawberries\/","author_details":{"368331":{"ID":"368331","display_name":"Nancy Mock","first_name":"Nancy","last_name":"Mock","user_login":"nancy-mock","user_email":"Nancy@hungryenoughtoeatsix.com","linked_account":"","website":"https:\/\/hungryenoughtoeatsix.com\/","description":"Nancy has shared her home cooking and baked goods with loved ones her entire life. Taking inspiration from her northeastern roots and Irish heritage, she shares her comfort food recipes on her site <em>Hungry Enough to Eat Six<\/em>. An expert in New England cuisine, Nancy enjoys delving into food history, viral recipes and regional dishes. Since becoming a Taste Recipes contributor, she\u2019s written about Fluffernutter sandwiches (a New England classic), re-created vintage Betty Crocker recipes, shared how to make \u201cmarry me chicken\u201d and much more. When she\u2019s not whipping up developing new recipes or testing cooking techniques, she loves finding vintage cookbooks from the last century to add to her growing collection.","twitter":"","instagram":"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hungryenoughtoeatsix\/","facebook":"","public_email":"","linkedin":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nancy-mock-hungry-enough-to-eat-six\/","tiktok":"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@hungryenoughtoeatsix","youtube":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@hungryenoughtoeatsix2945\/","location":"Worcester, MA","school_and_year":"University of Vermont","education":"University of Vermont, bachelor's in English","highlights":"<ul>\r\n \t<li>7 years of professional experience as a writer and food photographer for brands like <em>Taste Recipes,<\/em> <em>Mashed<\/em>, <em>Foodie<\/em>, <em>Reader's Digest<\/em> and <em>Birds & Blooms<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li>10 years as a <em>Taste Recipes<\/em> Community Cook<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Creator of<em> Hungry Enough to Eat Six<\/em>, which focuses on seasonal comfort food<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Grand-prize winner of the National Girl Scouts Cookie Recipe Content in 2016<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","expertise":"Recipe development; cooking techniques; baking; beer, wine & cocktails; product testing; gardening & plant care; grocery shopping; restaurants; travel","short_bio":"Nancy contributes writing, recipes and food photography to <em>Taste Recipes<\/em>, where she covers regional eats, food history and trending dishes. 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\r\n\r\nWhen picking fruit fresh from the plant, choose strawberries that are fully ripened: all red with no white or green areas. Avoid any berries bearing nibbles from critters.\r\n\r\nThe best way to pick the strawberry is by holding the stem above the green cap and gently twisting it off the plant. Leaving the caps and leaves intact on the berries will help them last longer once home\u2014if you accidentally tear off the cap, that's a good excuse to eat it on the spot! Take care not to bruise the strawberries or damage the plants.\r\n\r\nGet your freshly-picked strawberries home as soon as possible, so they don't deteriorate in your warm car.\r\n