If the berries are stored properly and kept away from moisture, they should last for around 7 days. Why do strawberries mold so fast? Since the strawberries are full of water and quite absorbent, they easily soak up excess moisture around them, which adds to the mold that they originally hold.
Berries resting on damp soil or touching infected plant parts are most commonly infected. Botrytis fungi overwinter as dark-colored, resting bodies (sclerotia) on dead tissue. In the spring during cool humid weather, spores form and spread by wind or water to wounded or extremely soft plant tissues.
Because strawberries and other fresh berries tend to have mold spores on their surfaces, they spoil faster when left out at room temperature. Keeping them in the fridge slows down this process so you have more time to use them.
Quickly remove and discard any berries that are moldy or are touching moldy berries, wash the rest well, and then dry them before storing to prevent new mold. And if more than a quarter of the berries in your container are moldy, discard the whole batch.
Arrange freshly picked strawberries in a single layer on a shallow plate or pie plate lined with paper towels. Cover or fit into a large plastic sealable bag and then seal the bag and refrigerate. Stored this way, strawberries should last at least five-seven days. The strawberries should stay dry and cold.
The fresh whole opened and unopened Strawberries last up to 1-2 days in the counter, 5-7 days in the refrigerator, and 6-8 months in the freezer. The fresh-cut Strawberries last up to 1 day in the counter, 1-3 days in the refrigerator, and 3-4 months in the freezer.
Why does fruit mold so quickly? Mold thrives with plenty of water and oxygen, so the rate at which fruit molds usually depends on the water content of the fruit, how old the fruit is, and how you store it. For example, berries are sometimes the quickest fruit to mold because their water content is so high.
Berries tend to spoil quickly due to their high water content, delicate texture, and the growth of mold and bacteria between them in their store-bought produce cartons. Exposure to moisture, heat, and air can also accelerate the ripening (or spoiling) process.
Food that has a high-water content will mold faster than others. This is because mold draws from the moisture content for growth. Fruits and berries, cucumbers, and bell peppers are all high-water content produce. These will mold before other foods in the refrigerator or on the counter.
If you find white fluffy stuff on your berries that looks a bit like cotton candy, that is mold. Mold is a fungus with spores that feed on the berries and grow thin threads that can look like fluff or cotton. This particular type of mold is common among fruits and is known as Botrytis fruit rot or gray mold.
All you have to do is pop these "sad" strawberries into a bucket of ice water for 20 minutes and boom! They're back to being bright red and perfectly juicy again.
The one on the kitchen counter will likely begin becoming moldy in a day or two if it isn't refrigerated. For more related information, see the “Care After Picking” section on the Strawberry Picking page or the Strawberry Buying Guide.
Place the strawberries in a single layer on a paper towel in a flat, airtight container or purchase a "produce keeper" that filters out ethylene gas for you, acting as its own crisper drawer of sorts.
A crisper drawer with the humidity vent opened will maintain a drier environment and allow for ethylene gas to escape, effectively slowing the ripening process and ensuring your berries can rest in a cool, well-ventilated space until you're ready to snack on them.
If your berries are whole, storing them in an airtight container could actually cause them to mold quicker due to trapped moisture. The best way to store a bunch of whole berries is to loosely place them—in a single layer if possible—in an open container lined with paper towels.
The airtight jar seemed to keep the berries much fresher than storing them on an uncovered sheet pan.
Don't Pre-Wash Your Strawberries
Strawberries will stay their freshest when dry and cold, and any added moisture will soften the strawberries and encourage mold growth. So instead of washing all of your berries right when you get home from the store, wash them as you plan to eat or prepare them.
The airtight nature of the jar seems to keep the strawberries fresher for slightly longer. Here's how to store strawberries in Mason jars: Pat the berries dry, if any moisture remains, then gently drop them into a Mason jar. Add the lid and twist to seal tightly. Place on a shelf inside your refrigerator.
One of the main reasons mold has the chance to grow in your fridge is because food is left for longer than it should. Produce can easily begin to develop mold as they begin to wilt while leftovers can develop mold over time. To avoid mold growth, clean out your refrigerator each week and toss any old food or leftover.
If food is covered with mold, discard it.
The most common source of refrigerator mold is rotting food. Usually, you can (sadly) throw that food away and be fine, but mold spreads through the air and through surface contact. So spores form a moldy piece of cheese could spread through air circulation or onto the shelf it's sitting on.
How long do Strawberries last? Strawberries can last a week in the fridge if you do nothing to them. If you rinse them in a vinegar wash, they will last at least 2 weeks in the fridge. They will only last a couple of days at room temperature.
Typically strawberries can last up to 2 weeks when stored properly in a mason jar (in the fridge). If you find your strawberries aren't lasting as long as they should, some of these factors may be the reason behind your lessened storage life: Strawberries were old when purchased from the grocery store.
Unwashed berries, like many kinds of fresh produce, can have dirt, bacteria, and pesticides living on the surface. So, in order to not ingest said dirt, bacteria, and pesticides, it's super important to wash them thoroughly before you eat them!