How To Prevent Mold From Growing On Organic Berries

When Berries Go On Sale! 

 

I recently went to the grocery store and was super excited to see that organic berries were on sale.  I mean really check out these amazing prices!

• Organic Blueberries ~ 2 pkg for $4.00
• Organic Raspberries ~ 2 pkg for $4.00
• Organic Strawberries ~ 2 pounds for $3.50

So what does this sale mean?  Buy, Buy Buy!!  But before I buy, buy buy, I had to figure out how to prevent mold from growing on organic berries! 

Why Organic Berries Get Mold?

 

I mean really, have you spent $5.00 on a small container of raspberries before only to realize the next morning there is mold growing on them?  You haven’t even had them for 24 hours yet!

So why is it that mold grows so quickly on organic berries?  Organic berries are not sprayed with pesticides or have not been processed with chemicals to preserve food for a longer shelf life.

Molds are saprophytes and grow on organic material.  Molds are everywhere and are airborne.  When the mold spores land they will germinate and grow on favorable environments.  Mold can not create their own energy source and they can only grow on organic material because it supplies a source of carbohydrate because they can not photosynthesis.  In a nutshell, organic matter is the food source for mold. (source)

Organic berries are a perfect environment for mold spores to cling onto and grow quickly.

This has happened way to many times to me so I set out to find a solution on how to prevent mold from growing on organic berries.

The Solution

 

So there is a quick solution to this problem.  When you get home from the market, place all your berries into a bowl.  

• Add 8 parts filtered water and 1 part vinegar.  You can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
• Gently stir and allow your berries to soak for 20 minutes.
• Drain and rinse berries and line a cookie sheet with paper towels and allow your berries to completely dry.
• Once dry, put them back in the containers and store in refrigerator.

The vinegar kills the mold spores and prevents them from growing on the berries.  

Your berries should now last at least a week and the organic strawberries will last even longer.

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