Strawberries are one of those supermarket favourites that can be surprisingly difficult to keep fresh. One minute they look plump, bright and ready to eat, and the next they can be soft, soggy and covered in mould. With fresh berries often going to waste before there is time to finish the pack, finding a simple way to squeeze a few extra days out of them could save both food and money.
The trick, which has been shared on TikTok, involves placing a paper towel over berries before putting their container upside down in the fridge.
The method has previously been used for leafy greens, with tests finding that it helped keep lettuce and other greens fresh for significantly longer.
The same approach can also be used for strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, with the paper towel helping to absorb excess moisture that can otherwise leave berries soft and encourage mould, according to AllRecipes.
To try the method, the berries should be left unwashed when they are first brought home. A paper towel is placed over the top of the fruit before the container is stored upside down in the fridge.
The berries should only be washed when they are ready to eat, as washing them before storage can introduce additional moisture.
Many berry containers already contain an absorbent pad designed to draw moisture away from the fruit. However, these pads can sometimes be saturated by the time the berries reach the supermarket shelf.
A fresh paper towel can therefore provide another layer of moisture absorption.
Tests of the hack compared berries stored normally with those kept with a paper towel.
Strawberries stored without the paper towel lasted for six days, while those stored with the paper towel lasted for eight days.
Raspberries lasted for nine days without the paper towel before they began to dry out, compared with 11 days when the paper towel method was used.
Blueberries showed the biggest difference. Those stored without the paper towel lasted for 20 days, while the berries kept with the paper towel lasted for 24 days.
The berries stored with the paper towel also remained firmer for longer. Blueberries in particular stayed plump, while berries in their original packaging became increasingly soft.
The paper towel can become damp as it absorbs moisture. During testing, the towels used with strawberries and raspberries became stained with juice and retained moisture after several days.
When this happens, the paper towel should be replaced with a fresh one so it can continue absorbing excess moisture.
There is also a practical consideration when storing raspberries. Because they are particularly delicate, an overfilled container could cause the paper towel to press down on the fruit and crush it.
Removing a few berries before adding the towel can help prevent this.
The method does not guarantee that berries will remain fresh for weeks in every household, and the results varied depending on the type of fruit.
However, the test found that the simple trick could extend the useful life of berries by several days, potentially helping households get more from each supermarket purchase and throw less food away.
Once berries are beginning to deteriorate, they can also be frozen to use later in smoothies and other recipes.