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If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that I’m not great at meal prep or planning but I *am* pretty great at fruit & veggie prep ;). Really excited to get this post up to help you keep your fruits and veggies fresher for MUCH longer than usual!
Today, I’m breaking down how to prep your fruits & veggies + how to store them so they actually stay fresher for longer. It’s a win/win because you’re saving money on wasted food + you’re able to eat more healthy foods when they’re fresh, portable + ready for you to eat any time!
If one of your goals for the new year is to eat more fruits & veggies, Walmart has you covered. I found everything you need to fruit & veggie prep at Walmart at a great price. If you haven’t hit Walmart’s home section lately, it’s a must! So many cute, practical items for organization, decor and storage at an awesome price – check it out here.
shop home storage under $30 // shop kitchen gadgets under $20 // meal prep + on-the-go eating must-haves
How to Keep Berries Fresh Longer
Ever wonder how to keep berries fresh longer? This hack came from my friend Mika Perry and I saw her sharing it for months on Instagram and I was SO skeptical… but she was right! It’s so simple to make your berries last longer!
How? Basically, you wash your berries (and veggies) really well, then let them DRY entirely, then store them in glass jars in the fridge, versus keeping them in the plastic and prepping them whenever you’re ready to eat them.
Supplies to Make Your Produce Last Longer
How to Keep Berries Fresh Longer: Fruit & Veggie Prep 101
Step One: Wash
the produce really well. I buy organic when possible and rinse mine with water in a colander in the sink.
Step Two: Cut & Choose
what you’re keeping. This is the time to slice peppers, remove stems from berries, take grapes off their stems, and remove any mushy, moldy or bruised berries from the bunch. Be picky – if they aren’t fresh right out of the package, they won’t get better in a glass jar ;).
Step Three: Dry
everything really well. This means I let my berries and veggies sit out for HOURS on the counter to dry. You can use a paper towel on the counter OR to keep it a little more environmentally friendly, use a cooling grid with a drying mat underneath. I use this one exclusively for food prep.
Step Four: Can It
Just add all the berries, fruits & veggies to appropriate sized mason jars. Totally depends on the quantity and size of your produce to determine which size – 16 oz or 32 oz – jars to use. I LOVE using plastic lids (regular mouth here, wide mouth here) because they’re easy to clean (no rust) and easy on and off (for my kids). If it still looks like there’s some condensation in the jar, you can add a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture.
Step Five: Store It
By putting the fruits & veggies in sealed jars straight into the fridge. They last about twice as long as they would in the plastic, BUT they won’t last that long… because you’ll eat them before they have a chance to spoil.
I’ve been berry prepping for about 5 months now and I can honestly say that IT DOES WORK, although I have no idea how or why. A few reasons I love prepping my berries, fruits and veggies at the beginning of the week:
- the berries truly stay fresh for longer – they don’t mush or mold nearly as quickly as they do in the plastic
- they’re easier and more convenient to grab as a quick snack. Because the produce is already washed + cut, all you have to do is dump into a lunch box or bowl – total timesaver!
- if you’re running out the door, you can just toss the entire jar with the lid into your bag and GO. you can’t do that with plastic cartons of fruit – holy mess!
- you save money by wasting less produce
- my kids can screw and unscrew the mason jar lids – aka they can serve themselves fruit because it’s already clean and convenient for them #WINNING
- honestly, it’s prettier to look at colorful fruit in glass than mushy fruit in plastic 😉
- you save money by wasting less produce
What kinds of berries, fruits, and veggies can you store in mason jars?
I’ve had success with:
- grapes – both green & red
- blueberries
- blackberries
- strawberries – you can also cut & slice, they stay good!
- raspberries
- pineapple
- watermelon
- bell peppers
- baby carrots
- cucumbers
For a lot of these veggies and fruits, it’s impossible to get them completely dry. You just want them as dry as possible before putting them into jars.
How to Keep Berries Fresh Longer + General Tips
- I buy organic when/where I can.
- I only rinse my produce with water – I’ve heard using some kind of white vinegar/water combo can extend the life of your produce but I can’t personally confirm.
- Metal lids work – as reported by my Instagram community – but I find metal mason jar lids are a little harder to clean and for my kids to maneuver. I found some great inexpensive ($2 for 8!) plastic mason jar lids here.
Have you tried prepping your fruits & veggies in glass mason jars?! Any questions? Leave them in the comments!
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Gretta says
Such a great idea and such a time saver! Question: do the celery, baby carrots, & cukes get dry and weird? Thanks!!
Amber Patel says
I’ve seen articles where they put only the carrots in the jar, like this one and I’ve also seen where they put water in the carrot jars. Either way seems to work for them. The celery they all seem to fill up with water. As for the cucumbers, the article I found said to put a dry paper towel in the bottom of the jar to keep the moisture down. ☺️
Taahirah says
Hi!
I am wondering if this amazing hack would work with mango? So far it’s been working like a bomb with other fruits!
Stacey says
I do a 4 to 1 white vinegar and water rinse to kill any mold spores that might be lingering . Especially if there is molded berries in the pack. Work as long as you do the 4 cups of water , any less you get vinegar berries
Victoria says
So, I think my mom did this INCORRECTLY. She just tossed the fruit into the mason jar without drying them, and now they taste like nail polish remover!! I am not sure if they were organic or not so maybe that had to do with it?? Any thoughts?
Alexis says
Is the celery in water? Thanks!
Amber Patel says
I looked it up somewhere else, so we would know the answer…They said they fill their celery jars up with filtered water. 😊
Glenda brown says
Wrap celery in aluminum foil to keep fresh!
Anna Coronna says
Yes ! my elder aunt just taught me the aluminum foil trick for celery and it really works ! I wrap it first in paper towel and then foil. Stay really fresh ! I also just started my first jar of strawberries and it’s been over a week ! ( compared to maybe 5 days
previously)
Susie Whitacre says
Wrapping celery in aluminum foil really works!
Carla Almgren says
Wrapping celery in foil works..but ppl who trying to do healthy/ natural. Foil is very destructive to your health.
Michelle says
Yes!!! Wrapping celery in foil keeps it fresh for weeks! This also works for lettuce. If you break it down and use smaller portions it keeps it fresh.
Leslie says
Just started doing this and I’m sold!! Love it! Thanks for the tips.
Mim says
Do you add water to the jars . Im dying to try
Heather says
No you dont. You need dry produce. Try thecrosslegacy.com for storing tips for your produce!!
Kristen says
You don’t mention celery, but it looks like you have cut celery covered in water in a jar. Is that right?
Faha says
Where can I buy these types of jars?
Amber Patel says
Every item she talked about is an individual link. If you just click on the bold words themselves (such as the cooling rack, drying tray, both sized mason jars, both sized lids) , it’ll take you directly to that particular item at Walmart.com. You can also buy it at the store and I’m sure on Amazon as well.
Nat says
Are you able to give the exact link to buy these please?
Beth Molnar says
I just tried this today. With green grapes and raspberries. I am noticing now that there is condensation in the jars and the green grape jars seem to have a little pressure when I open them. What did I do wrong or is this ok? Thanks.
Liliany says
Same thing happened to me. And I also noticed the strawberries get a weird taste like fermented?
Tanya says
Same thing just tried it lol not sure if I didn’t let them dry enough. I love how they look in my fridge though
Kate says
Same thing happened to me. Would love to know if I’m doing something wrong here.
Amy says
When you cut up the fruits and veggies, like cucumbers and pineapple. Do you also let them set out and dry out?
Carla Almgren says
Read some of the other comments. But you can use a dry paper towel in the jar..change it if it gets too wet to a dry one..Check to see if your frig is set at the optimal temp. Leave a frig thermometer in the frig at all times and look at it periodically..
Tanya Maddox says
I just tried this and my jars have condensation on them. Did I just not dry out the food enough?
Ernest says
I’ve tried this too and found they last even longer if I don’t wash the strawberries first but just put them straight in the jars.
Sue says
I found that to be the way that worked best for me too
Nancy says
My husband soaks fresh fruit in water and lemon juice. He says they last longer. True or false
Lark says
Can you use plastic jars for this?
VL says
Ready to go with this idea. Am wondering about mushrooms?
Kendra says
I read elsewhere to store mushrooms in a paper bag. The paper absorbs the moisture and makes them last longer by allowing the shrooms the breathe thru the paper instead of trapped in a plastic container.
Lori says
Do not do with mushrooms. Becayse of their chemical makeup when you take away air. It can lead to botulism. Also never vaccum pack them.
Terry Moore Brady says
Can you mix your berries together in the same mason jar?
Samantha Arnold says
There is a lot of people asking about lemon juice or vinegar- either will work but I prefer vinegar washing.. they have the same type of acid in them 😉 This acid will wash and kill any molds that have landed on the fruit from farm to table, hence, making it last longer before storing.
Charlie says
do NOT wash fruit before putting in jars, Wash as needed
Charlene says
Love your ideas
Diane (May) McBryde says
What a beautiful idea! I am confused, though, about some people saying “wash”…some say “don’t wash”…then some say “put water in jar”…some say dry completely! HELP! I usually always wash my fruit and put in heavy plastic containers. My carrots and radishes really last a long time in these. But the mason jars are just so cute!!!
Sherri says
Why not wash 🧼
Sarah says
Do you get the same result using glass storage dishes (like pyrex) with plastic lids?
T says
Want to know that too.
I have other glass jars too.
So far blueberries tasted fermented in the jar I have and I hadn’t washed them.
Jaya says
I also freeze my fruit and vegies this way. Amazing what you can freeze in glass jars. 🙂
Carla Almgren says
Do you not do anything special to veggies before you freeze them in the jars..I know normal there are some veggies you have to blanch before you freeze. I was wondering if you could freeze in the glass jars..I was afraid they would bust..But good to know bc that would help me a lot with my limited frig space if I could freeze in the jar.
Pam says
What about broccoli? Has anybody tried that?
Judy McLemore says
Can you use jars like old spaghetti sauce jars or jelly jars.
Lindsay says
Hi, this is so interesting! I follow @thecrosslegacy and she has amazing hacks that are just like these. She uses vinegar and water to kill off the mold spores and actually clean them, since produce can be so dirty. it’s crazy how gross the vinegar water comes out after soaking for 2 minutes. She has hacks for almost all of the produce items. How to get most to last three weeks.
Wilma TFlintstone says
Produce is fat and oil free, so I’m not understanding why washing the tops is so challenging? Should need a simple rinse, esp. if produce has been washed . . .
BobbiJo says
Can I use plastic mason jars? I have some pampered chef I just don’t want to go out and buy glass if what I have will work.
Deborah says
Can I use plastic mayo jars?
Leslie Ford says
What about pears, plumbs, and peaches? Would it work for them to wash with the vinegar water and cut up before storing in sealed glass jars and refrigerating?
Nelson says
How about crock jars????
Their lid would be of same material.
Pamela Brunker says
I did strawberries and they are now on day 18 in the fridge and still good to eat. I am very impresses.
Kristen says
I just started this, but I don’t wash the berries first. I feel like I won’t get them dry enough and the moisture is what gets them yucky 😬
But so far they last a lot longer!