Place blueberries in kitchen colander. Run cool water over the blueberries to get them wet. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda over the wet blueberries. Use your hands to gently distribute the baking soda throughout the blueberries, and continue to agitate for 30-45 seconds.
Blueberries (and other produce) should not be washed as soon as they're brought home. Rather, they should be washed shortly before they're eaten. When you bring home your blueberries, inspect them and discard any that show mold or decay (composted, ideally). Why?
Researchers discovered that 10% salt water solution is effective for removing common pesticide residues including DDT. Rinse with water afterwards. Use bicarbonate of soda(also known as bicarb and baking soda) to clean your fruits and vegetables. Add 1 teaspoon of bicarb to 2 cups of water and soak for 15 minutes.
Why Fresh Berries Go Bad. Everyone says you shouldn't wash berries until just before you eat them because moisture shortens their shelf life.
How to Wash Blueberries: Place berries in a colander (strainer) and dip the colander in a larger bowl of cold water. (Because blueberries are so delicate, running them under the water may cause breakage) Swish the berries around and drip dry! REMEMBER- Make sure to rinse berries 'as you go'…
It's simple really: just give them a quick bath in a vinegar and water solution the moment you get them home, dry them, and place them in a clean container lined with paper towels. The vinegar helps to kill any mold that could cause them to spoil, and this method can make them last as long as 10 days in our house!
When last tested in 2014, blueberries contained over 50 different pesticides. Testing in 2020 and 2021 found 54 different pesticides — about the same amount. Two insecticides, phosmet and malathion, were found on nearly 10% of blueberry samples, though the levels decreased over the past decade.
Even organic berries should be washed before eating; while there may not be chemicals to rinse off, there's still dirt and other grime to be cleaned off before you use the berries for anything.
Most berries should not be washed until they are being used. Excess water can cause premature spoilage for delicate, antioxidant-rich fruits like blueberries and raspberries, even gooseberries.
One of the cardinal rules of keeping berries mold-free is to leave them unwashed until the moment before consumption. But, by washing your berries in a solution of vinegar and water, you can extend their shelf-life by days (sometimes even weeks!).
A saltwater soak of one cup of warm water to one teaspoon of salt, along with a quick rinse afterward, can help ensure the removal of little grubs that may be hiding inside the berries.
Cleaning blueberries before you eat them is an important way to remove mold and bacteria as well as pesticides. The easiest way to wash them off is by rinsing them under a gentle stream of cold water, although you can use vinegar for extra cleaning power.
If you're storing blueberries in the refrigerator, don't wash your blueberries until you are ready to eat them or cook with them. That's because any excess moisture from washing can cause them to go bad more quickly in the fridge. You will, however, want to rinse and dry blueberries before freezing them.
The absolute best way to keep berries fresh is to avoid rinsing them until you're ready to eat them. That being said, it isn't always convenient to rinse and dry a handful of blueberries every time you're feeling peckish.
As in 2022, strawberries and spinach continued to hold the top two spots on the Dirty Dozen, followed by three greens - kale, collard and mustard. Listed next were peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, grapes, bell and hot peppers, and cherries. Blueberries and green beans were 11th and 12th on the list.
It is common for produce to go through a postharvest rinse prior to arriving at the grocery store. Produce is washed in order to clean the produce, and to remove any microbial contaminants (e.g., Listeria, Salmonella, E. Coli 0157:H7).
Baking soda removes up to 96% of pesticides from fruit and vegetables.
In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups water and 1 cup white vinegar. Immerse your berries in the water and gently stir in order to wash. Let the berries soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain the berries in a colander and rinse under running water.
Dip in white vinegar.
After the quick rinse, to further extend the freshness of your blueberries, mix three parts water with one part white vinegar and briefly dip the berries in the mixture. The vinegar solution further removes dirt and debris from the porous skin.
To dry berries after washing, carefully spread them in a single layer on a tray or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Gently pat the berries dry with another paper towel.
Place the berries in a large bowl and wash them in a vinegar-water bath: 1 cup of white vinegar and 8 cups of water. Let the berries sit in the vinegar-water bath, gently moving them to help dislodge any dirt, grime and letting the vinegar kill spores and bacteria.
Make sure you get your berries very dry, either by air drying on a clean towel or by gently patting dry, then store in the fridge in a container lined with dry paper towels.
Do you wash strawberries with salt or vinegar? You can wash strawberries with both, though neither are necessary—water works just fine! If you want to wash with salt though, you can dissolve one teaspoon in a couple of cups of warm water.