4 Easy Ways to Wash Strawberries

Curious how to wash strawberries the proper way? This article will teach you 4 different ways to wash your fresh berries and which one I recommend.

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Here in the Midwest, summertime means fresh berries, especially strawberries and blueberries. We hand pick our own or buy at local farms. My husband and I own a blueberry farm and have an endless supply of blueberries in July.

One of the activities on our annual family summer bucket list is pick local fruit. It is a fantastic way for kids to learn where food comes from and do a little bit of manual labor, while still having fun of course. Don’t worry, most farms have delicious treats and fun drinks to help you enjoy your experience!

Whether you have homegrown strawberries from your garden, visited a local strawberry farm, or picked some up at the grocery store, you are going to need to give them a quick washing before you eat them.

Why clean strawberries?

Because strawberries are grown close to the ground, it is not uncommon to have tiny pieces of dirt on the outer layer. Strawberries are full of tiny little pores which means they easily absorb chemicals and pesticides that have been sprayed on the plants. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has put together a list of the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables, called the Dirty Dozen. Strawberries are the number one contaminated in the year 2022.

Take just a few minutes to wash your strawberries before you eat them. You don’t want to ingest those chemicals and wreck havoc in your body. Pesticides can affect many things in your body, including hormones. I know you are busy, but take a few minutes to make you and your family’s health a priority.

When to clean strawberries?

Many fruits and vegetables can be washed and then stored for days or even weeks. Unfortunately, strawberries do best being washed right before you eat them.

Extra water causes them to get mushy and is a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. If you want your strawberries to last, hold off on washing them until the day you use them.

How to wash strawberries?

Along with most things in life, there isn’t always just one right answer. There are many different methods that you can use to wash your strawberries. Depending on time and what you are most concerned with, pick the method you like the best and use it.

According to the CDC, it is not recommend to use commercial produce washes as they can often leave behind more residue than what they are washing away.

I love that these 4 methods use natural ingredients that you should already have in your house.

Method 1- Give the strawberries a cold bath.

Store them dry in the fridge until you are ready to use them. When you are ready to enjoy, grab the strawberries you need and submerge them in a small bowl of cold water. This will ensure every strawberry is getting an adequate washing. Gently dunk the strawberries or “swish” around to get a little water flowing.

If that sounds like too much work, you can put them in a colander and rinse them under cold water. Use the plastic container they came in for a colander and recycle when done.

Here at Living Practically I try to keep things easy and manageable for busy moms. You better believe I wash my strawberries using this method. It is so stinking easy and cheap. Using cold water is the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to wash your strawberries and is actually recommended by many health experts.

Method 2- Give them a vinegar bath.

While doing a little research on other methods to clean strawberries, I came across recommendations from Southern Living. Vinegar is a wonderful cleaning agent that I use to clean my kitchen sink, dishwasher, washing machine, and shower heads. It is also safe to eat as it is in many recipes and therefore we do not need to be considered about ingesting it.

1. Put strawberries in a colander and rinse with cold water to knock off any pieces of dirt.
2. In a medium bowl, mix 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water. For example, add 1/4 cup vinegar to 1 cup water.
3. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. It is common to see black specks and bugs floating in the water. Thankfully you are getting rid of that and not eating them!
4. Place berries in a colander and rinse well so your strawberries don’t have a strong vinegar taste.
5. Enjoy or use strawberries.

Method 3- Soak them with salt water mixture.

If your biggest concern is bugs, a salt water bath is the way to go.

1. In a medium bowl, mix 3 tsp of salt to 3 cups of warm water. Let the salt dissolve and the water cool completely.
2. Submerge the strawberries and let soak for 5 minutes. Again, you might see tiny black specks float towards the top of the water.
3. Place berries in a colander and rinse well.
4. Enjoy or use strawberries.

Method 4- Use a baking soda mixture.

From cleaning the kitchen sink to washing produce, baking soda has many purposes.

1. Put strawberries in a colander and rinse with cold water to knock off any pieces of dirt.
2. In a medium bowl, mix 1 tsp of baking soda to 2 cups of water.
3. Let sit for 5 minutes. It is common to see black specks and bugs floating in the water. Thankfully you are getting rid of that!
4. Place berries in a colander and rinse well.
5. Enjoy or use strawberries.

What you need to know…

• When it comes to how to wash strawberries, there are 4 popular ways to do it.
• Wash them with cold water.
• Use a natural cleaner such as vinegar or baking soda.
• A saltwater bath will gently clean your fresh berries too.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will come back for more!