Ever see a kitchen hack that makes you wonder if it works? I do all the time, and I try to test ‘em so I can let you know things that will make your life easier. This time it’s storing berries in glass jars and YES, it works!
I love berries and often pick up several packs. Problem is, once I get home, invariably I end up sticking ‘em in the fridge and forgetting. THIS hack buys me the time to go through that fruit before it’s too late.
Get those berries in glass jars quick!
Here’s the method I use. Put unwashed blueberries straight into clean jars (I left mine for a week for this test). That’s it. Doesn’t have to necessarily be canning jars though I had these pint jars for overnight oats, and they worked great. You could use other leftover jars…just don’t go too big as the weight of the berries could mess up your efforts.
You can add a folded paper towel on top if you want a little extra insurance against condensation. For this test, I did not. Over the next day or two, follow my procedure for deciding which ones to freeze (see that here), returning the ones to eat to clean, dry jars in the fridge.
It works for strawberries too if you don’t pack them tightly (obviously takes more jars as strawberries are pretty big). Raspberries, blackberries? Yep, works for them too but work through these quickly as they can go downhill fast.
What to do with those berries – toss, eat, or freeze
Obviously you don’t wanna do anything with the bad ones…toss ‘em and move on.
The ones that are just beginning to soften, enjoy these on oatmeal, on top of a fresh salad, add to a smoothie (great way to hide some greens in your smoothie as well!) or just munch ‘em alone.
Freeze the ones that are firmest. Frozen fruit doesn’t improve, it simply stays available for some uses longer. Once defrosted it will be softer which means you might not wanna just grab a handful. But if you’re going for overnight oats or a smoothie, this allows you to have that sweet fruity goodness after all the fresh berries are long gone.
Take advantage of great sales to freeze your own
When I find a great deal on berries, like when the crop comes in ALL at one time and those berries gotta move or at the end of the season, I grab as many as I think I can handle.
Do this and chances are you’ll pay less per pound than the commercially frozen fruit you’d end up buying off season at the store. The 5 pints of blueberries I bought for 99c each last week adds up to about $1.44/# of fruit. That’s SO much better than my Kroger’s current 3.99/# for Private Selection frozen!
Need a healthy treat?
Our favorite way to use frozen fruit is topped with coconut milk! Mix and match whatever fruit combination you have on hand. We typically have frozen strawberries and blueberries…a little sweet, a little tart.
Give the frozen berries a bit of a wash just to defrost a little bit (you don’t want to defrost it all the way) and shake off the excess water. Stir your coconut milk as it does separate even if it’s been in the fridge.
Split the fruit into serving bowls. Pour a little milk over the fruit (don’t totally soak it). And if you wanna get a little fancy, sprinkle a little unsweetened shredded coconut on top. The best part is the milk that hits the frozen fruit becomes a bit of a “shell.”
Storing berries in glass jars…the great debate
Like I said, there’s a lot of controversy out there about whether to wash the berries first or not (I’ve put some good articles down below if you wanna check it out). If you wash the berries, of course you have to let them dry…that simply defeats the ease and speed of this hack for me. And isn’t that the very definition of a “hack”?
Try this one and let me know how it goes!
Here’s the great variation of thoughts on how to store berries in jars…
- How to keep berries fresh (Similar to mine)
- 3 Berries to Wash Right Away (and 3 You Never Should) (I disagree on the blackberries for sure though I do wash the strawberries if I cut to freeze)
- How to keep berries fresh, strawberries in a jar (Gotta soak in a vinegar solution first)
- Why You Should Keep Fruit In Mason Jars Instead Of The Containers They Come In (Gotta soak in vinegar solution even LONGER)
