Have you just brought home fresh, fragrant raspberries and are wondering how to preserve these delicious fruits for as long as possible? Whether you've picked them in the mountains, in your garden or bought them in the supermarket, there's one main rule for enjoying them at their best and it's very simple:
RASPBERRIES ARE A DELICATE FRUIT AND ARE THEREFORE BEST EATEN FRESH: IT IS BEST NOT TO STORE THEM FOR LONG.
Like other berries, raspberries are picked at the peak of ripeness, which means they have a short shelf life. To ensure that raspberries stay fresh for as long as possible, the first step is to know how to pick raspberries in the shop. Inspect the bottom of the package for moisture and avoid packages that contain runny, mushy or overly dark fruit. Choose packages with dry, bright, well-coloured and fully ripe berries.
At this point, how can you preserve the quality after purchase and enjoy them at their best?
Here are a few simple tips to help you rediscover the aromas and flavours of the raspberry when you want to eat them:
- If you don't use freshly picked raspberries straight away, store them in the fridge. Raspberries from the garden will stay fresh in the fridge for a few days. Store-bought raspberries will stay in good condition for at least 1-2 days.
- If you're not going to eat them immediately, store them unwashed: the introduction of moisture into the berries will cause them to spoil more quickly.
- Fresh raspberries are firm, plump, have a vibrant, bright colour and a typical raspberry smell. The first thing to do is to remove bad raspberries. Remove bruised, very soft or crushed fruit.
- Raspberries with mould are also inedible. Discard rotten fruit immediately to prevent mould from spreading to neighbouring berries.
- Raspberries quickly become mushy in water and lose their flavour. It is therefore best to wash berries only when necessary. You do not necessarily have to wash raspberries from your own garden. For example, if there is soil on the berries, briefly rinse the fruit under a thin stream of fresh water.
- If you have washed the raspberries, let them dry before storing them. Put the berries on kitchen paper, for example. Kitchen towels are not suitable as a drying surface, because the red berries leave stains.
- If the original packaging does not have a moisture-absorbing mat at the bottom, use a paper towel to keep the raspberries fresh for longer.
- After removing the bad raspberries, you can store the remaining berries in the fridge.
- Do the necessary to put the raspberries in the fridge as soon as possible: even a few hours out of the fridge can have an immediate negative effect on quality, taste and shelf life.
- Raspberries are best kept in an air-permeable container. So leave store-bought raspberries in their original packaging, don't transfer them to an airtight container. The original container is designed with slits and holes to allow airflow, helping to keep the berries fresher for longer.
- Place the raspberry packets on a stand, such as a saucer. This will protect your fridge from any berry stains and fruit juice leaks. Thus prepared, you can put the raspberries in the fridge.
- Keep them in the front and centre of the fridge where they will be visible and easy to reach. That way, you'll use them before they have a chance to go bad.
- Do not store raspberries in the back of the refrigerator or in the lower fruit and vegetable compartment. The air in the fruit and vegetable compartment may be slightly more humid than in the rest of the refrigerator and may cause the raspberries to spoil more quickly.
- Remember that raspberries can be more delicate than other berries. Rinse them gently with fresh water, but only just before eating them.
- To bring out their natural flavours, leave them at room temperature before serving.
- Even in the best conditions, raspberries only last a few days at most in the fridge. If you want to keep them longer until you use them, it's best to freeze them.
In conclusion:
- If you plan to eat the raspberries within a few hours, leave them at room temperature.
- If you know you are going to eat them in a few days, prepare them now and put them in the fridge as soon as possible.
- If you think it will be several days before you consume them, it is best to freeze them.
