Avoid Buying Strawberries From The Grocery Store If They Smell Like This

Late spring is prime time for luscious, succulent, sweet strawberries. It's the time of year when families take trips out to strawberry-picking farms to stock up on and savor this freshly harvested seasonal produce. For the rest of the year, when juicy, fresh-picked strawberries are out of the picture, your local grocery store and the occasional farmers market come in clutch. While every bite might not burst with flavor that screams "spring," they still do the part when pureed for use in beverages like a roasted strawberry and basil lemonade, simmered down into a simple, homemade strawberry jam, and more. But, before you're satisfied with a basic visual inspection for fuzzy mold or obvious signs of rot, you may also want to put your store-bought strawberries to the smell test. In fact, it's one of the key factors to look out for when choosing the best strawberries at the grocery store. While not every box of strawberries will emit the sweet, fruity, floral aromas that they do during their peak season, there is a distinct smell that might be a sign to alert the store manager.

You'll know that the strawberries are past their safe prime when they give a detectable whiff of ammonia. You know, the unpleasantly sharp and pungent stench that is unfortunately similar to urine or sweat; the description speaks for itself. Smell has a significant impact on taste, so, obviously, the notes of acrid strawberries are no friend to your taste buds. Not only that, but this olfactory, tell-tale sign of potential spoilage means that chances are you might get sick if you bite into an acerbic strawberry.

Once you've secured your supply of strawberries that pass all the safety checks at the grocery store, the next step is to store them appropriately. First things first, wash them to remove grit and any other residual debris lurking on the surface. Since strawberries are among the top produce items with consistent exposure to pesticides, especially in non-organic varieties, it's best to give the box of berries a thorough soak rather than a cursory rinse with water. An effective strawberry hack to prevent potential mold growth is to dilute white vinegar in the soaking water. A ratio of 10 parts water to 1 part vinegar ought to do the trick to protect the berries while not pickling them. Given that organic varieties tend to be more expensive, and with rising grocery prices, you may reach for conventional, non-organic strawberries. In that case, clean your produce with baking soda for an added layer of protection from residual pesticides, adding about 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 2 cups of soaking water.

Once washed, dry the strawberries thoroughly and place them back in their original container or one with a loose-fitting lid. For short-term storage lasting up to a week, place the strawberries in the fridge, ideally in the crisper drawer. This section of the fridge affords a suitable, temperature-controlled environment with low humidity and proper airflow so that moisture doesn't get locked in, resulting in moldy berries. For long-term storage, your freezer is your friend. Frozen strawberries are perfect for blending into smoothie bowls or make for a unique ice cube swap to cool down your beverage while imparting subtle notes of strawberry in every sip.