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Home » How to Choose Strawberries

How to Choose Strawberries

By Marybeth Feutz 5 Comments

Strawberry season is one of our favorite seasons! But how do you know if you’re picking the “right” strawberries? Are they ripe enough? Are they too ripe? How can you tell? Use these simple tips to pick the perfect berries every time.

red strawberries in a white bowl on a marble background with a green napkin

How to Choose Strawberries

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There is just something about the smell of a box of fresh, ripe strawberries that makes me so happy! How do you know if you’re getting the best strawberries you can find? Here are a few easy tips for choosing strawberries at your grocery store, farmer’s market, or you-pick farm.

Look for bright red berries. Strawberries don’t continue to ripen after they are picked, so what you see is what you get. Look for berries that a bright red from top to bottom. Berries like the ones in the photo below, with a lot of yellow or green, will stay that color and won’t taste as sweet as a ripe strawberry.

strawberries that are not ripe

Look for fresh green leaves. After the berries are picked, the green leaves will start to dry and wilt. The longer the berries have been picked, the more “wilty” the leaves will look. Fresh green leaves mean that the berries are fresh, too.

Look for plump berries. If the berries are starting to look “dry” or shriveled, they are getting old.

Size doesn’t matter. Different varieties of strawberries grow to different sizes. Weather and growing conditions can also affect the size of strawberries. Smaller berries are often sweeter, but bigger berries are delicious, too!

Look for no signs of mold. If you can see one moldy berry in the box, there are probably a few more. Mold on the berries means they are starting to rot. Even if most of the berries in the box aren’t moldy, they are all probably starting to go bad.

Look at the berries you can see from the top and the bottom of the box. Sometimes, a “bad” berry can be hiding at the bottom of the box. Make sure all the berries you can see look red, ripe, and fresh.

close up view of strawberries in a plastic clamshell

Free Printable for How to Choose Strawberries

Click here to download this free printable. Keep it handy when you head out to the grocery store!

printable tips for how to choose strawberries

It doesn’t get much easier than that! What is your favorite way to use strawberries?

Get everything you ever wanted to know about strawberries in this episode of My Fearless Kitchen TV.

Enjoy!

3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of Your Kitchen

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  • Spring Fruits & Vegetables in Season – free printable!
  • How to Store Strawberries

3 Recipes to Try

  • Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
  • Summer Berry Greek Yogurt Parfait
  • Slow Cooker Blueberry French Toast

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Filed Under: Fruits & Vegetables, Kitchen Printables, Where is My Food From? Tagged With: fruit, grocery store, grocery store tips, produce, strawberries

« Easy Weekly Meal Plan #70
How to Store Strawberries »

Trackbacks

  1. How to Store Strawberries - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    05/19/2018 at 8:58 pm

    […] How to Choose Strawberries – free printable! […]

  2. How to Wash Strawberries - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    05/19/2018 at 9:32 pm

    […] How to Choose Strawberries – free printable! […]

  3. How to Slice Strawberries - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    05/19/2018 at 10:25 pm

    […] Have you ever seen fancy-looking strawberries at a restaurant and wonder how they do that? It’s really easy to slice strawberries and make them look pretty. As long as you’re starting with fresh, pretty berries, that is! (Get the tips for choosing the perfect berries here.) […]

  4. Episode 2 - Strawberries & Shortcakes - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    05/19/2018 at 10:36 pm

    […] How to Choose Strawberries – free printable! […]

  5. Instant Pot Strawberry Oatmeal - My Fearless Kitchen says:
    06/11/2018 at 10:43 am

    […] How to Choose Strawberries – free printable! […]

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Hi! I'm Marybeth, the blogger behind My Fearless Kitchen! Jump in, and let me share what I'm learning about food, farming, quick kitchen tips, and easy recipes to chase the fear out of YOUR kitchen! Read more.
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